BioForward Coronavirus Advocacy & Community Update

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BioForward is actively engaged with community partners, elected officials, state agencies and industry partners to meet the challenges of combating the coronavirus and demonstrating that Wisconsin can help lead the nation through this healthcare crisis.

PPE Focus

  • Eight Madison-area community providers serving people with developmental disabilities and seniors received much-needed PPE as they battle the spreading coronavirus as a result of a donation from BioForward. BioForward is proud to coordinate this effort to provide PPE in response to the coronavirus pandemic and support local community-based organizations as they continue with their work to serve individuals in need throughout WI.

See the press in: NBC | WISBUSINESS | THE CAP TIMES | WKOW

  • BioForward is working closely with groups at UW Madison and in SE Wisconsin helping them source suppliers and working for them on liability and regulatory concerns as they rapidly design and manufacture critically needed personal protection equipment (PPE) such as surgical and N95 masks. Wisconsin is fortunate to have such dedicated and collaborative research universities and private companies working together to meet this challenge.

Advocacy Update

Although COVID-19 seems to be the complete focus for all of us, BioForward continues to work on advocacy issues that are impacting us relating to COVID-19 and legislation that impacts our businesses beyond the COVID-19 crisis. The following are legislative actions that we have supported and are monitoring:

  • Clarification of Eligibility for Small Businesses with Equity Investors under the SBA’s 7(a) Loan Program within the CARES Act. BioForward signed onto a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Carranza to issue guidance that clarifies the affiliation rules so that small businesses with equity investors qualify under the Keeping Workers Paid and Employed Act Section of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
  • Proposed Executive Order on “Buy American” and Defense Production Act Designation for Health-Related Goods Production. BioForward signed onto a letter that recommends to the Administration that repatriating supply chains for the production of essential medicines should be deferred until the current national emergency is past. The Administration should focus on measures to facilitate production of key products and avoid undermining current production that relies in part on global value chains.
  • Monitoring Wisconsin COVID-19 Emergency Orders. As reported previously, BioForward and its partners, proactively worked with the Governor’s Office on Safe at Home language that provided exemptions to Wisconsin’s biohealth industry. We continue to monitor any emergency orders that could impact our industry. Emergency Order #12 – DHS Safer at Home Emergency Order issued on March 24, 2020: https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/COVID19/EMO12-SaferAtHome.pdf

Wisconsin COVID-19 Links: The following links will take you to Wisconsin-specific information on the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Stay united with BioForward. We have developed a Coronavirus Resource page that has extensive information relating to advocacy, operations, federal initiatives, BIO podcasts where you hear directly from biopharma on their initiatives related to therapeutics and vaccines.