We are asking all LST members and ecosystem supporters to contact their state representatives regarding two priority bills that will face critical consideration in the next week. Both the biomarker testing legislation and the patient assistance bill will be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee next Wednesday, March 25. Here is a summary of each bill:

We are asking you to reach out to your legislator and members of the Senate Commerce Committee and encouraging their support for these important measures.

We also wanted to call your attention to some recent progress this session. We are grateful to the Tennessee General Assembly's action on two bills related to non-opioid pain relief and opposing mRNA technologies. See summaries of these bills below. Thank you to our members who helped advocate for these policies over the last several weeks.

Join us April 14 from 3:30-5 p.m. CT at Meharry Medical College in Nashville or virtually for our next Life Science Venture Program education session! This session will explore how life science startups can strategically plan their early research to maximize the probability of a technical and regulatory success. Our featured speaker, Adam Haberle, PhD, MBA, will share insights on designing studies that generate decision-enabling data, preparing for regulatory engagement, and avoiding common pitfalls that slow progress from the benchtop to the bedside. 

Learn more and register below.

Immediately following the LSVP session, we’ll host our Beer & Biotech at M.L. Rose (4408 Charlotte Ave., Nashville). Enjoy a complimentary drink and light bites while meeting researchers, postdocs, entrepreneurs, and representatives from Middle Tennessee’s growing biotech landscape. 

Five months after the expiration of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, a five-year reauthorization of the programs now awaits President Trump's signature. The House on Tuesday passed a bill to reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs, following the Senate’s passage of the legislation two weeks ago and months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. 

The legislation reauthorizes the programs for five years until September 30, 2031, and restores an important source of early-stage capital that supports translational research, early clinical development, and the formation of new companies. 

As a reminder, Tennessee has a successful SBIR/STTR matching program, managed by LaunchTN. The matching program bolsters entrepreneurship in the state by matching federal dollars allotted to job-creating Tennessee companies. To date, program funding has created a $695 million economic impact on the state, totaling 939 jobs. 

Last month, LST members met with legislators to share their expertise and advocate for the continued growth of the industry in Tennessee. We also discussed policies that support biomarkers as an important, safe tool to treat rare diseases and cancers; expand access to non-opioid pain relief; protect patients from unfair costs; strengthen talent recruitment and workforce development; and recognize the value of medicine in delivering new therapies and cures to patients. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Join us on Tuesday, March 24 from 4-6 p.m. ET for Capital Conversations Tri-Cities, the seventh stop on this insightful tour, in Johnson City. The free event is designed to help founders connect with capital, meet fellow entrepreneurs, learn about InvestTN (LaunchTN’s $70 million equity investment fund), and discover how to access resources and get involved.

In attendance will be members of LaunchTN’s Capital and Commercialization teams, financial sector experts from Pinnacle Financial Partners and Pathway Lending, and representatives from Sync Space Entrepreneur Center.

From June 22-25, biotech companies of all sizes will be in San Diego, California for the 2026 BIO International Conference. The conference will attract more than 20,000 life science executives and researchers from across the world to develop business connections.

This year, Tennessee will expand its presence with the Tennessee Booth and Tennessee Reception during BIO's signature conference. If you'll be there, stop by the Tennessee Booth (Booth No. 3117) to connect with the biotech and economic development representatives from across the Volunteer State. If you would like to be involved in Tennessee's presence at BIO, please email Hannah Taylor.

Read a new investigation by Hunterbrook Media that uncovers an invisible layer of the PBM ecosystem — PBM-affiliated group purchasing organizations (PBM GPOs).

Frist Cressey Ventures (FCV) announced it has closed an oversubscribed $425 million Fund IV to drive the firm's focus on early-stage healthcare companies transforming care delivery with technology and tech-enabled services, including AI-native business models.

ICYMI: A KFF poll found that people view prior authorization as the greatest burden in health care by a wide margin.