AMR is a crisis ‘here and now’

A BIO witness explained to Senators why we need urgent Congressional action to fix the broken marketplace for antimicrobials—we have a recap, plus, how biotech can help tackle the growing number of heat-related deaths. (509 words, 2 minutes, 32 seconds)

AMR is a crisis ‘here and now’

Fighting antimicrobial resistance requires actions to address the broken marketplace for novel antimicrobials—including the PASTEUR Act, a novel pull incentive, and reforms to antimicrobial reimbursement, said a BIO member company CEO during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee hearing yesterday—here’s a recap.

This is a crisis “here and now,” testified Christine Ann Miller, CEO of BIO member Melinta Therapeutics and Chair of the Antimicrobials Working Group. “Many medical procedures that are commonplace today will become too risky to undertake, with catastrophic consequences to medical care, including death.”

Why it matters: Antibiotics extended average lifespan by 23 years, but we’re losing that, said Subcommittee Chair Ed Markey (D-MA)—and 100 Americans die every day from AMR, said Ranking Member Roger Marshall (R-KS).

Why our antibiotics don’t work: Bacteria and fungi are living organisms that adapt, evolve, and continually develop resistance to existing drugs, which requires steady innovation of newer, novel antimicrobials, Miller said.

Why the market doesn’t work: Antimicrobials must be used sparingly, and a flawed reimbursement system also gives hospitals a financial incentive to withhold the latest antimicrobials. This means drug companies lose money on investments to develop new antimicrobials.

What we can do: Miller and others in the hearing noted the importance of the PASTEUR Act, which would create an alternative payment model that decouples payment from the volume of antimicrobials used, and policies to increase access to new antimicrobials—through reforms to reimbursement.

What they’re saying: “We need to address the commercial marketplace. This is definitely something that really needs the federal government to step in and address,” said Miller. “We need to see reforms and reimbursement. We need to see incentives like The PASTEUR Act be put in place so … patients can get the life-saving medicines that they need.”

Read more in Bio.News.

Watch the highlights:

61,000 in Europe died from heat last year

Think changing weather has nothing to do with health? Here’s a reality check—and what biotech can do about it.

The research: Analyzing the Eurostat mortality database, which includes 45,184,044 counts of death, research published in Nature identifies 61,672 heat-related deaths between May and September of 2022, Europe’s hottest season on record.

Climate change is the main driver:“Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases have led to a detectable rise in global temperatures, which is associated with an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves and hot summers,” the study says.

We’re not ready: After more than 70,000 heat-related deaths in 2003, Europe enacted some measures to protect its citizens—but they’ve proven inadequate, the study concludes.

Biotech can be part of the solution. As society seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate change, biotech can help with:

• More sustainable fuels—like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and biofuels.
• Advancing biomanufacturing—and using lower-emissions methods to make greener plastics and clothes.
• Reducing waste—with techniques like gene editing.

What BIO’s doing: Advocating for policy and legislation that enables these developments—for instance by calling for a Farm Bill that supports SAFs, cleaner agriculture, and incentives for climate-friendly practices. 

Why it all matters: The El Nino weather pattern means 2023 could be hotter.

President Biden’s Wednesday: Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before delivering a keynote speech on the final day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, per NBC News.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee will hold a hearing, “Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property – Part II: Copyright.”