Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
An estimated 129 million Americans are entering 2026 battling at least one chronic disease. That’s nearly 40% of the U.S. population. It’s a reality that continues despite the record $4.9 trillion Americans spent on health care in the most recently reported year.
While no single solution exists to overcome America’s health woes, the next wave of breakthroughs could emerge at the intersection of farms, feed lots, food and pharmaceuticals.
It’s a concept known as One Health, a globally recognized discipline designed to advance health innovation and improve lives by recognizing and optimizing the interdependencies between people, plants, animals and the planet.
The opportunity has captured the attention of global leaders, and Indiana is among the few economies in the world with the scale and momentum to become its epicenter.
In May 2024, Purdue University and animal health giant Elanco announced a shared vision to create the OneHealth Innovation District on the west side of downtown. Anchored by Elanco’s new global headquarters, the district aims to become a “globally recognized research innovation district dedicated to optimizing the health of people, animals, plants and the planet.”
It’s a bold vision backed by assets only Indiana can claim.
The state is home to the world’s most valuable human pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Co.; the largest pure-play agriculture company, Corteva Inc.; the second-largest independent animal health company, Elanco Animal Health; the nation’s second-largest health insurer, Elevance; the nation’s largest medical school, Indiana University School of Medicine; and one of the nation’s top-rated colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine, at Purdue University.
The breadth of leadership is unrivaled, and the capacity to transform ideas into life-changing, health-improving innovation continues to grow.
Indiana University broke ground on its Launch Accelerator for Biosciences—referred to as IU LAB—in October just days before the Applied Research Institute announced plans to locate the headquarters for its federally designated biosciences tech hub at 16 Tech Innovation District. In November, corporate venture studio builder Alloy Partners announced a partnership with Elanco and the state of Indiana to launch the first OneHealth Studio aimed at building and scaling venture-capital-backed companies “at the convergence of animal, plant and human health.”
Momentum is clearly on Indiana’s side. However, momentum and assets alone are not enough. Leaders must unite across industries and move with urgency to prioritize the most transformative opportunities for health-improving, life-saving innovation if this One Health vision is to become a reality.
Speed is even more critical given Corteva’s recent announcement of its intent to split into two independent public companies. Corteva is more than a public agriculture company headquartered on Indianapolis’ northwest side. It is a cornerstone of Indiana’s One Health strength and central to its differentiation. The company’s global leadership in plant science and crop protection matters here, and it is not guaranteed to remain if post-split priorities shift.
Now is the time for city and state leaders to work together to retain Corteva’s presence in Indiana. This is about more than retaining jobs. This is about protecting and strengthening Indiana’s position and securing the talent base required to build the next chapter of the state’s economy and enable One Health innovation.
One Health holds the promise to improve the lives of millions, and Indiana has the assets to lead. The moment demands action to build on momentum, convert assets into impact and usher in a new era of One Health innovation. America and the rest of the world are counting on it.•
__________
Frazier is president of IBJ Media. Send comments to [email protected].
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
The Indiana economy has been hampered by at least two significant problems for Hoosiers. They are the poor quality of our health as manifested by poor quality of our health care systems as well as the financing of our school systems (mainly property tax). Over many years, our State government has sacrificed these basic programs in the name of “fiscal responsibility.” Why come and live in Indiana when one will have trouble finding a health care provider or have have a top notch school for one’s children’s early education? These are challenges can be solved and would be a great incentive for more qualified workers to call Indiana their home. Unfortunately, I do not see the current State administration wanting to address these challenges and seriously put into place programs to address these obvious impediments to a vibrant workforce.