This year’s BIO conference kicked off — for this reporter, at least — with a seven-hour flight delay Sunday, dragging into Boston on the wrong side of midnight. Despite the travel misadventure and lack of sleep, Monday morning offered a wide range of lively discussions about the state of the biotech industry and what drugmakers and other leaders are doing to bring new treatments into existence.

We talked about major challenges and opportunities in biotech. The ripples of NIH cuts in early science. Tough times for financing, and finding a way out of the woods. And where are the IPOs? Still, there was optimism.

“It’s the golden age of biotech,” said Dr. William Pao, a former Pfizer and Roche executive, now CEO of cancer stealth biotech Revelio Therapeutics and author of a book on the history of medical breakthroughs.

Today, as BIO carries on, we’re exploring how one patient group has helped clear a path for more inclusion in clinical trials.

Thanks for reading.