Statement: PERA Act will Help Discoveries Move Beyond the Lab, Reach Patients

Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) reintroduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), a bipartisan effort to restore clarity and balance to the U.S. patent system by amending Section 101 of the Patent Act. Alliance for Aging Research President and CEO Sue Peschin, MHS, released the following statement:

The Alliance applauds Senators Tillis and Coons for reintroducing PERA. This bipartisan legislation is essential to ensuring that scientific discoveries can be developed into new diagnostic and medical technologies that improve the lives of patients, particularly older adults.

Accurate and early diagnosis is a foundation of effective health care, especially for older patients managing chronic diseases. Advanced diagnostic tools — built on decades of biomedical research — enable earlier detection, more targeted care, and better health outcomes. Yet uncertainty in Section 101 of the Patent Act has created barriers that slow the development and availability of these innovations.

PERA will restore much-needed clarity, helping ensure that new discoveries can move beyond the laboratory and reach patients. Strong and reliable intellectual property protections are vital to encouraging the continued advancement of medical technologies and supporting their translation into real-world solutions.

Older patients stand to benefit significantly from advances in diagnostics, which can lead to earlier interventions, improved quality of life, and reduced health care costs over time. By reinforcing the framework that supports innovation, PERA will help deliver better outcomes for patients and strengthen our health care system.

We thank Senators Tillis and Coons for their leadership and urge Congress to act swiftly to pass this important legislation.