BioUtah Hosts LIfe Sciences Roundtable with Congressional Healthcare Leaders

March 1, 2021

BioUtah recently held a life sciences industry roundtable with Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives who play a key role in shaping healthcare policy around the FDA, CMS, NIH and more. Lawmakers included our own Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) who now sits on the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee and Subcommittee on Health.

Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) brought to town Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA), the top Republican on the E&C Committee, and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee and also a member of the E&C Committee. The visit was intended to raise the profile of Utah’s life sciences industry before national policymakers.

“Utah’s emerging life sciences industry is just another reason I’m proud and fortunate to call the Beehive State home,” said Representative Curtis. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how important these innovators are to protecting our health and well-being. I’m grateful we had the opportunity to show off this life-changing work to my House colleagues.”

“We thank Rep. Curtis for arranging this meeting,” said Kelvyn Cullimore, president and CEO of BioUtah. “Our guests were impressed with the breadth and depth of Utah’s life sciences industry, our culture of innovation and the difference we make in patients’ lives.”

Twenty-five Utah life sciences companies attended virtually or in-person, with appropriate safeguards, at the Salt Lake City offices of Colliers International.

The representatives discussed the opportunities and challenges in the current political climate that could impact the life sciences, such as R&D incentives, MDUFA, 21st Century Cures 2.0, drug pricing and tax hikes.