ReNetX Bio, a New Haven-based company, is working to translate Yale University's neuroscience research into a therapy that could reverse paralysis caused by brain or spinal cord injuries. Recent clinical trials have shown promising signs of neural plasticity in spinal cord injury patients, suggesting the potential for neural repair.
Advancements in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment
Other companies and academic institutions are also contributing to the field. Researchers at the University of California San Diego are exploring implants to guide new nerve cell growth, while Northwestern University has developed an injection that reversed paralysis in mice. These efforts highlight the rapid advancements in neuroscience and regenerative medicine.
Policy Changes Threaten Progress
Despite these advancements, policy changes in Washington threaten to undermine progress. Alterations to Section 174 of the tax code and the potential invocation of march-in rights on drug patents pose significant challenges to biotech startups.
The change to Section 174 requires biotech startups to spread deductions for research expenses over five years instead of claiming them in the year they occur. This results in a new tax burden, especially for companies that have yet to generate revenue. Government grants, which are crucial for funding research and development, are treated as taxable income, exacerbating the financial strain.
Impact on Investment and Innovation
Investors are wary of these changes, as they prefer their capital to advance therapies rather than pay taxes. Taxing early-stage grants without offsetting deductions threatens the investment pipeline that fuels medical innovation.
Another concern is the government's threat to invoke march-in rights on drug patents. Proposed guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would allow government agencies to revoke patents on technologies that received federal funding, even after private companies have invested heavily in their development. This would be devastating for biotech startups that rely on patent protection to attract investment and recoup R&D expenditures.
Call for Policy Adjustments
Legislators have introduced the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act to repeal the Section 174 changes. Passing this bill is crucial to prevent further damage to American biotech. Policymakers also need to understand the chilling effect that march-in rights could have on private investment in early-stage research.
The path from scientific breakthrough to approved treatment is long and challenging. Policies that foster innovation, rather than hinder it, are essential to achieving the goal of reversing paralysis and improving the lives of millions.
