Our Defining Edge: Activating the Ecosystem
By: Priscilla VanderVeer
At No Patient Left Behind, we have a defining edge: As a small, focused team, we can move quickly, deploy resources and engage our network where they matter most. We function as a catalytic hub: convening CEOs, investors, patient leaders, and policy experts, converting their expertise into coordinated, high-impact action.
In this series, we’re exploring how we use our defining edge to bring clarity and credibility to policy debates.
When FDA capabilities and NIH funding first came under threat last year, No Patient Left Behind activated our network to gather real-time, actionable insights.
We quickly:
Polled innovators and investors to provide policymakers and the public with real-world insights from across the ecosystem
Drafted and circulated letters to inform Senate HELP deliberations on key topics, including defending the NIH & NSF (1,700+ signatures), proposed FDA budget cuts (650+ signatures), and preserving and modernizing the FDA (380+ signatures),
Generated coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Fierce, and The Washington Post
These challenges have continued, and we will continue to make the case that in order for our ecosystem to thrive, we must support research and development and ensure a strong, stable regulatory structure.
We also go beyond responding to threats to the innovation ecosystem. We’re proactive, sharing the good work the industry is doing through ourstorytelling lab and the partners we work with. Last month, we hosted a bipartisan congressional staff trip in Boston, where founders, investors, innovators, and biotech leaders hosted a series of site visits and critical conversations.
We’re building our network for the future, too. Part of our long-term strategy involves cultivating the next generation of leaders, because those making decisions in the healthcare space should understand the full ecosystem, from science and investment to policy and insurance.
The NPLB Biotech Fellowship is part of that strategy. We teach fellows through live lessons, fireside chats, in-person events, and collaborative projects, and our latest cohort of fellows just kicked off in March.
Read more about where we’ve been and what’s ahead for 2026 here.