Statement from MassBio CEO & President Kendalle Burlin O’Connell on the results of the U.S. midterm elections and Massachusetts gubernatorial race:
“With Americans having voted for a divided government in Washington, my hope is that the path from scientific discovery to patient access, an issue that has historically been non-partisan, can be a source of unity and national pride. That path starts with federal research funding, appropriations that have long enjoyed support from both sides of the aisle as an enduring signal from Congress that the United States values its discovery pipeline. It runs through a regulator that moves with speed toward approvals. And it ends with a healthcare system that delivers innovative therapies and cures to the patients who desperately need them.
“We congratulate all returning members of the Massachusetts delegation, and look forward to working with Congressman-elect Dan Koh as he heads to Washington to represent the North Shore’s 6th District. Together, they will have an outsized role in moving legislation forward. MassBio and our members are eager to continue to work closely with them to ensure that U.S. science remains merit-based, and to pass a competitiveness package that accelerates clinical trials, incentivizes homegrown biotech innovation, and boosts domestic biomanufacturing. At the same time, we will educate lawmakers on the risks of any embrace of artificial price controls and broad overseas prohibitions that isolate rather than protect American innovation.
“We also congratulate Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll on their successful re-elections. We remain grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for its consistent support for the life sciences industry in Massachusetts, especially the reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative as part of the Mass Leads Act. We look forward to working with the administration, along with the Legislature, to continue to implement that initiative in a way that protects and grows the early-stage biotech ecosystem.
“Let’s get to work to solidify American leadership, protect American jobs, and provide for American patients.”
