BIO Statement On USTR’s 2016 “Special 301 Report”

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released the following statement regarding The Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) 2016 Special 301 Report:

“BIO commends the USTR and the Special 301 Interagency Committee for engaging U.S. innovators as they seek to improve global intellectual property standards and enforcement, and to promote pro-innovative environments in countries around the world. BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Strong global intellectual property rights are essential to promoting biotechnology innovation, both in the United States and abroad.

USTR’s 2016 Special 301 Report acknowledges and aims to advance global IP rights in biotechnology in a number of constructive ways. BIO appreciates USTR’s continued focus on key trading partners such as China and India, and its acknowledgement of new issues in countries such as Colombia. BIO believes it is critical that USTR place special emphasis on areas and issues where countries have not fully implemented existing trade agreement obligations, in places such as Chile and Canada.

BIO also appreciates USTR’s acknowledgement that market access issues can also undermine IP rights in the life sciences sector, and highlights the many challenges U.S. innovators face with respect to discriminatory or non-transparent health reimbursement systems. BIO concurs with USTR’s support for innovative approaches to expand access to medicines and other technologies that respect the rights of biotech innovators and appreciates USTR’s emphasis of this issue in the Special 301 report.

Finally, BIO reiterates the critical importance of advancing the adoption of U.S. intellectual property rights standards by our trading partners, as called for in the Trade Promotion Authority Act, through trade agreements and other trade policy mechanisms, such as Special 301.”

About BIO

BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO’s blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

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