Bayh-Dole Coalition Launches Campaign Against Proposed March-in Framework

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Bayh-Dole Coalition launched a major new advocacy campaign to save the bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act, which could soon be gutted by a misguided regulatory proposal.

The effort, dubbed #SaveBayhDole, couples testimonials from leaders at preeminent research institutions – including Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, and Johns Hopkins – with a powerful online platform for voters to make their voices heard.

In December, the Biden administration suggested that federal agencies could invoke the Bayh-Dole Act's "march-in" provision to impose de facto price controls on commercially available products. The proposed changes would jeopardize cutting-edge research and prevent the creation of life-changing technologies.

The campaign will educate Americans on the dangers of the proposal and help them mobilize against it. Sixteen of the nation's leading technology transfer officials explain how the proposal will undermine scientists and engineers at universities nationwide -- and deter startups from licensing those schools' early-stage research discoveries and working to turn them into real-world products.

"Over the past 43 years, the Bayh-Dole Act has supported more than 6 million jobs and contributed nearly $2 trillion to America's economy. It has facilitated the discovery and commercialization of thousands of inventions, from technologies in our phones and televisions to therapies for HIV and cancer," said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "By twisting the language of the Bayh-Dole Act, the proposed framework threatens the very foundations of our country's innovation system."

The SaveBayhDole.org site also makes it easy for concerned citizens to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to oppose the framework.

"Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans support the Bayh-Dole Act and oppose attempts to undermine it," said Allen. "We're excited to leverage that support and mobilize a nationwide community of advocates to protect this cornerstone of American innovation."

About the Bayh-Dole Coalition: The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a diverse group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jack Dunn
[email protected]
(202)-970-9743 ext. 125

SOURCE Bayh-Dole Coalition