At PBL Assay Science, we’ve spent 35 years at the forefront of life science innovation. We’re proud to contribute to a research ecosystem that transforms human health, supports scientific discovery, and creates high-skilled jobs. Today, we face a critical moment: proposed federal funding cuts to key biomedical agencies threaten not only the progress we’ve made—but the future of American innovation itself. This open letter from our CEO, Robert Pestka, calls on Congress to restore and expand investment in life sciences R&D. We believe strong, sustained public funding is essential to maintaining the United States’ leadership in science, health, and economic growth.
The Future of U.S. Biomedical Innovation is at Risk: An Open Letter to Congress
Subject: Urgent Need to Reinforce Federal Investment in Life Science Research and Development
Dear Congress:
I am writing to express my deep concern over recent and proposed reductions in federal funding for biomedical and life sciences research. As the longtime CEO of PBL Assay Science, a biotechnology company that has contributed to the scientific enterprise for over two decades, I've witnessed firsthand how sustained investment in R&D transforms public health, drives economic growth, and upholds America's leadership in global innovation.
Federal R&D funding has long acted as the bedrock of the life sciences ecosystem. It fuels early-stage discovery, de-risks translational work, and powers the innovation pipeline that leads to life-saving therapies, diagnostics, and vaccines. The ripple effects of this investment are vast--supporting thousands of small businesses like PBL, creating high-skilled jobs, and fostering public-private partnerships across the country.
Small Life Science Companies Are Particularly Vulnerable
The proposed cuts to agencies like the NIH, NSF, and BARDA have already begun to destabilize the foundation of innovation--especially for small and emerging companies. At PBL Assay Science, we are part of the essential infrastructure that supports scientific discovery. But unlike larger corporations, we do not have the capital buffers to absorb prolonged funding interruptions and sudden drops in market confidence.
These funding cuts aren't abstract--they directly translate to shelved drug development programs, delayed clinical trials, laid-off scientists, and shuttered labs. The result is a chilling effect on innovation at the very moment the U.S. should be doubling down on our strengths.
We Are Losing the Race for Talent and Global Competitiveness
Just as troubling is the message this disinvestment sends to the next generation of scientific talent. Early-career researchers (many of whom I know personally) are increasingly looking abroad for stable, well-funded research environments. The U.S. is losing its brightest minds, trained in our own institutions, to countries that are actively investing in biotech and biomedical science as a strategic priority.
As a result, we are ceding our global leadership in a sector we once dominated. Nations like China, Germany, Canada, South Korea, and Australia are not catching up--they are surpassing us in some areas of strategic investment. if we do not urgently reverse course and expand federal R&D investment, we risk a permanent erosion of our global standing. One year of disinvestment can lead to a decade--or more--of lost progress.
A Call to Action:
I urge you and your colleagues to:
- Oppose any further cuts to federal life sciences R&D.
- Restore funding to pre-cut levels, accounting for inflation and lost capacity.
- Expand support for NIH, NSF, BARDA, and FDA programs that fund early-stage research and small businesses.
- Champion bipartisan efforts that preserve and strengthen our national scientific infrastructure.
This is not just a budget issue--it is a generational choice about the future we want to build and will determine whether the United States remains a beacon of scientific excellence and biomedical innovation in the decades ahead.
Thank you for your continued commitment to America's scientific and economic future.
Sincerely,
Robert Pestka, CEO
About PBL Assay Science
For 35 years PBL Assay Science developed and supplied specialty immunoassay products and biomarker testing services to basic, drug development, translational, and clinical researchers around the world. We believe people deserve new and improved interventions to treat disease and improve human health, and our vision is to enable the scientific community to overcome challenges through the high-quality solutions we deliver and the trust we inspire.