Regarding “Ganging Up on Moderna” (op-ed, Nov. 17): The National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies are critical partners and funders of basic research that benefits domestic manufacturing, especially in the biomedical sciences. Public-private partnerships have supported many life-changing advancements, but private-sector research dwarfs the federal contribution.

A National Association of Manufacturers study finds that biopharmaceutical manufacturers annually invest $83 billion in R&D, all aimed at drug development....

A vial of the Moderna Covid vaccine.

Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters

Regarding “Ganging Up on Moderna” (op-ed, Nov. 17): The National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies are critical partners and funders of basic research that benefits domestic manufacturing, especially in the biomedical sciences. Public-private partnerships have supported many life-changing advancements, but private-sector research dwarfs the federal contribution.

A National Association of Manufacturers study finds that biopharmaceutical manufacturers annually invest $83 billion in R&D, all aimed at drug development. By contrast, less than 9% of the NIH’s fiscal 2019 budget of $39 billion—or $3.5 billion—was focused on research directly related to drug development. It is disingenuous for some policy makers to suggest otherwise as they try to justify stripping manufacturers of intellectual property protections.

Manufacturers will not accept weakened IP protections or their close cousin, price controls. Blurring the line between public and private investments may be good politics—but it’s bad for U.S. manufacturers.

Robyn Boerstling

National Association of Manufacturers

Washington