Why Texas Should Continue Betting on Biotech

By Dr. Jen Muhtaler

As an engineer, physician and now candidate for Texas House District 47, I have seen firsthand how medical innovation can change—and save—lives. This is why I believe Texas should make biotechnology and the life-sciences an economic and healthcare priority.  

Biotech is where medical discovery becomes real-world care: new cancer treatments, therapies for rare diseases, better diagnostics, and manufacturing that brings lifesaving products to patients. It is also a major opportunity to create high-skilled, good-paying jobs and keep Texas competitive in the industries that will shape a better tomorrow.

Texas has the foundation to lead. We are home to institutions such as MD Anderson and the Texas Medical Center, as well as growing innovation centers like Pegasus Park. In and around House District 47, companies including Lumos, Savara, and Vigilant demonstrate the talent and entrepreneurial energy already building Texas’ life-sciences future. New technologies—including mRNA therapies and radiopharmaceuticals—offer hope to patients who may have few other options.

Elected officials should prioritize investment in biotech because it delivers a direct return for Texas families. It gives patients greater access to clinical trials and emerging treatments closer to home, strengthens our healthcare workforce, attracts private investment, and creates jobs in research, manufacturing, and technology. 

Biomedical innovation is not an abstract concept. It is a patient with cancer gaining another treatment option. It is a family facing a rare disease finding hope. It is a young Texan finding a meaningful career without having to leave the state.

I support policies that make Texas a national leader in biotechnology: responsible research investment, a skilled workforce, efficient and predictable regulation, and a business environment that allows innovators to grow and I hope other elected officials will join me. Texas should not simply participate in the next era of medical progress—we should help lead it.