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For anyone who has driven along Interstate 65 north of Lebanon recently, the growth of Indiana’s life sciences sector is impossible to miss. Across the state, life sciences companies large and small are supporting tens of thousands of jobs, generating billions in economic impact and helping deliver the medical breakthroughs that enhance and extend lives. Decades of investment have transformed Indiana into a global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing and medical research. The challenge moving forward is, how do we continue the momentum?
This question feels more timely than ever. At a recent American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in nearby Chicago, some of the most closely watched data included therapies developed in China — highlighting how quickly our global competitors are advancing. While the United States remains the global leader in medical innovation — for now — the conference served as a reminder that foreign competitors are making significant gains and investing aggressively to overtake America’s position.
Thankfully, some leaders in Washington are watching closely and working to safeguard American ideas. The Council for Innovation Promotion has named Indiana U.S. Sen. Todd Young a 2026 Champion of Innovation for his bipartisan work to strengthen American competitiveness and protect intellectual property — cornerstones of the ecosystem that enables the discovery of new medicine and ensures the United States remains the global gold standard for innovation.
That recognition came as no surprise to those of us at the Indiana Life Sciences Association. Last year, we honored Young with our Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of his commitment to U.S. leadership in biotechnology innovation and preparedness.
Life sciences innovators across the Hoosier state are changing the world every day. Their determination, ingenuity and willingness to explore the unconventional are the keys to so many new therapies and treatments that improve daily life. These cutting-edge breakthroughs don’t happen by chance. A strong, sustainable policy framework that fosters economic investment and protects intellectual property is vital to ensuring future medical discoveries are made in America. That’s why we need more leaders like Young championing medical and technological innovation and pushing for stronger protections against foreign adversaries.
An outspoken critic of China, Young has made it clear he believes the United States can beat China by developing biotechnology here at home. To achieve this, collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential. Innovation requires investment and an environment that will grow and sustain it.
More than 40 years ago, Indiana U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh authored the bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act, landmark legislation that transformed the commercialization of federally funded research.
Before Bayh-Dole, universities and research institutions didn’t retain intellectual property rights to their discoveries, and innovation moved at a glacial pace. By protecting intellectual properties, the law incentivized the development of new medicines, technologies and treatments while also helping to establish the United States as the global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation. It remains one of the clearest examples of how smart public policy can encourage innovation.
Today, Indiana offers a powerful example of that model in action. Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame are all world-renowned institutions partnering with the government and private companies like Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck. These collaborations are helping transform scientific discoveries into lifesaving treatments while strengthening Indiana’s economy and preserving America’s competitive edge.
Indiana has been instrumental in both creating a strong framework for American life sciences leadership and providing a home to thousands of innovators developing the next generation of breakthroughs. That leadership is not guaranteed. Too much is at stake to cede that position to competitors like China.
As global competition intensifies, the United States will need strong policies to ensure discoveries are made and developed here, including policies that strengthen intellectual property protections and reinforce America’s innovation advantage in the face of growing global competition. Washington must stand with leaders like Young to ensure we remain on top.•
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Jones is president and CEO of the Indiana Life Sciences Association.
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