NCBiotech supports proposed legislation to strengthen US biomanufacturing

New legislation proposed by a bipartisan and bicameral group of Congressional legislators and supported by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center would establish a dedicated national center aimed at strengthening U.S. innovation, capacity and workforce for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The bill, called the Biomanufacturing Excellence Act, would reinvest in domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing by reducing dependence on unreliable foreign supply chains, expanding access to cutting-edge medicines, and supporting high-quality American jobs.

Sens. Budd and Coons were joined by U.S. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06), Jim Baird (R-Ind.-04), David Rouzer (R-N.C.-07), and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), who led the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Doug Edgeton, president and CEO of NCBiotech, said the legislation would create a National Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center of Excellence, which is pivotal to advancing U.S. leadership in bioprocess innovation, supply chain resiliency, and workforce competitiveness. 

“We greatly appreciate that our Congressional leaders recognize the importance of biomanufacturing to our economic and national security,” Edgeton said. “For over four decades, North Carolina has created an integrated ecosystem focused on life sciences manufacturing.”

N.C. is a global life sciences leader, with more than $17 billion invested and 7,500 jobs announced since 2021, Edgeton said, a success made possible by a community of partners that work seamlessly to integrate innovative institutions with over 150 life sciences manufacturing companies. That ecosystem forms a dense and intentional hub for accelerating cutting-edge biomanufacturing innovations to commercial scale.

Sen. Budd said that not only is biomanufacturing a key pillar of America’s and North Carolina’s innovation economy, but it has the potential to transform major aspects of everyday life. 

“We must foster this critical technology and continue to lead the world in enabling life-saving medical breakthroughs, fortifying our critical supply chains, and creating good-paying, high-skilled jobs,” Sen. Budd said. “I am proud to partner with Sen. Coons to help build on the public-private partnerships that have unlocked significant economic potential and unleashed next-generation technology.”

NSCEB supports new bill

National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) Vice Chair Michelle Rozo said she was grateful to these congressional partners “for their strong commitment to the future of U.S. biotechnology leadership and their introduction of this important legislation. 

“In our (2025) report, we found that advancing innovation in the biopharmaceutical sector is essential to catalyzing full-scale production for new medicines in the U.S., and this center would bring together industry, academia, and government to do just that,” Rozo said. “Through our Biotech Across America roadshow, I’ve had the opportunity to personally visit biotech hubs around the country to see the impact this type of cutting-edge biomanufacturing innovation can have on U.S. national, health, and economic security.”

The bill is endorsed by the NSCEB, NCLifeSci and NCBiotech, the Delaware BioScience Association, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Life Sciences Pennsylvania, and the American Alliance for Biomanufacturing.

Biotech to keep US competitive

Biotechnology will shape how the U.S. defends itself, secures its food supply, and cures life-threatening diseases. NSCEB warned that without rapid and significant investment, the U.S. will fall behind its global competitors, specifically China, according to the bill.

The Biomanufacturing Excellence Act would additionally establish a public-private center dedicated to advancing biopharmaceutical manufacturing – a key recommendation from the NSCEB report.

Specifically, the National Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center of Excellence would:

• Unite industry professionals with academic researchers to conduct collaborative research on new technology for scaling biopharmaceutical manufacturing
• Host a facility that replicates industrial manufacturing conditions and complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations, where innovators would develop and test new manufacturing processes
• Identify challenges and opportunities for scaling biopharmaceutical manufacturing, especially for products important to U.S. national security, public health, and economic security
• Train tomorrow’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce by partnering with educational, industry, and community leaders to bolster biotechnology talent

Read the full bill text here.