Council for American Medical Innovation

America benefits tremendously from its leadership position in medical innovation and the life sciences. American medical innovators create millions of well-paying jobs, and their discoveries are integral in the fight to cure cancer and other illnesses.

Unfortunately, America is losing its competitive edge to countries that have made innovation a priority. Singapore, Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark and South Korea now outrank the U.S. These countries have been adopting policies that nurture innovation, and it is working.

Through the Council for American Medical Innovation, leaders from the research, medicine, academia, education, patient advocacy, labor and business communities are working together to address factors that could hinder future medical breakthroughs in this country. The Council for American Medical Innovation views leadership in medical innovation as a key part of America's economic recovery, future prosperity, and health.

The Council for American Medical Innovation understands that policies supporting research and medical innovation must be put in place to achieve breakthroughs in cancer and other devastating illnesses, create millions of high-paying jobs, and maintain U.S. competitiveness.

Specifically, the Council is asking Congress to adopt policies that:

Increase incentives for investment in research, development and its application.

• Foster a legal and regulatory environment that protects intellectual property.
• Expand appropriate tax policies to ensure that medical innovation industries continue to innovate in America.
• Establish policies and practices to promote the development of life science clusters.
• Develop a robust infrastructure that makes translational research a top priority.
• Ensure the strength of strong capital markets which are crucial for small companies to gain access to financing for continued innovation.
• Assure that health system changes to improve quality and reduce costs are crafted in a way that supports continued medical innovation.
• Support regulatory reforms that can improve the process of developing and approving of safe and effective drugs, biologics, medical devices and diagnostics.

Increase investment in the life sciences.

• Increase federal budgets, especially at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, to significantly increase basic and translational research programs in the life sciences.
• Increase investment in PreK-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training opportunities for innovation scientists to strengthen America’s ability to make advancements in the life sciences. Ensure an increasingly highly skilled and trained work force in the United States.

Ensure an increasingly highly skilled and trained work force in the United States.

• Improve the quality of PreK-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning to ensure that American school children have a strong foundation for innovation and leadership in the life sciences and medicine.
• Support policies to attract and retain the best and brightest minds from around the world to ensure increased advances and breakthroughs in the life sciences and medicine in America.

Download a PDF of this the Council’s policy platform»