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What a week. We start a new one with a look at the latest news on avian flu and AMR, plus what’s ahead in Washington (including a PBM hearing tomorrow). (805 words, 4 minutes, 1 second) |
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New bird flu cases add urgency to vaccine development, calls for policy action |
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed six avian flu cases among workers culling infected poultry on a Colorado farm last week as the biotech industry continues work on vaccines for humans and cattle.
What’s happening: The new cases, all with mild symptoms, more than doubled the number of avian flu cases among humans in the U.S. to 11, with 10 reported since April. The 104-degree weather during culling may have made using personal protective equipment challenging, a CDC official said.
“Current risk assessment for the general public remains low,” as there’s been no human-to-human infection, the CDC said. Four U.S. cases followed exposure to dairy cows, and seven followed exposure to poultry.
Human vaccines are in development: If the virus mutates to spread between people, threatening a pandemic, the U.S. government is funding vaccine manufacturing by CSL Sequiris and the development of an mRNA vaccine by Moderna, both BIO members.
Cattle vaccines are underway, too—enabled by public-private partnerships, Bio.News reported. Vaccines for birds are available but haven’t yet been used due to trade concerns.
What we need to do now: BIO called for the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). “We must advance biotechnology as a national security imperative,” BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley has said, “and we need to do that because it’s important for pandemic preparedness.” |
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Hospital AMR infections driven up by pandemic, CDC says |
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Several types of drug-resistant hospital-onset infections “increased by a combined 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period,” and remained above pre-pandemic levels through 2022, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How it happened: COVID had a discernible effect on the increase in AMR in hospitals, “which pushed healthcare facilities, health departments, and communities near their breaking points,” the CDC explains in a new fact sheet.
Why it matters: With drug-resistant “superbugs” contributing to nearly 5 million deaths annually, we need novel antimicrobial treatments to fight drug-resistant infections. However, the market for these drugs is broken.
A legislative fix: The PASTEUR Act would help boost the antimicrobial pipeline to bring new innovations to patients by stabilizing a sustainable return on investment for new antimicrobials to treat the most threatening infections. The legislation was reintroduced in Congress in April 2023.
BIO’s view: “This latest data from the CDC is a striking reminder of the rapidly growing threat we face from antimicrobial resistance and further demonstrates why we need new, innovative therapies to address drug-resistant infections,” said Emily Wheeler, BIO’s Senior Director of Infectious Disease Policy. “We need urgent action on the PASTEUR Act to help address the broken antimicrobial ecosystem and support the development of new tools to protect patients from these dangerous infections.” Read more at Bio.News. |
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What Else to Know This Week |
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BIO files amicus brief in suit against price controls. On Friday, BIO filed an amicus brief supporting the July 12 appeal by Bristol Myers Squibb Co and Janssen Pharmaceuticals in their suit opposing Inflation Reduction Act drug price controls. According to BIO’s amicus brief, “The [Drug Price Negotiation] Program strong-arms BMS, Janssen, and other drug companies into providing the Government with access to their drugs at below-market rates (thereby violating the Fifth Amendment). The Program also bullies drug companies to endorse a government message with which they do not agree (thereby violating the First Amendment).” We’ll take a deep dive with BIO soon. In the meantime, you can read about the case on Bloomberg Law.
BIO Asia-Taiwan 2024 is running Wednesday through Sunday. BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley will give video remarks at the conference, which “aims to bring together bioindustry executives and investors from North America, Europe and Asia to explore business opportunities and to engage with Taiwan's emerging biotech sector.” The event is jointly organized by BIO and the Taiwan Bio Industry Organization (Taiwan BIO). |
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Beltway Report: What's Ahead in Washington
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