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Before we head out for the holiday week, we have more on the CDC’s new recommendations for respiratory diseases, a new analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act’s impacts, and a look at two biotech innovators to watch. (659 words, 3 minutes, 17 seconds)
We’re taking a publishing break for the July 4 holiday week. We will return on Monday, July 8. In the meantime, keep an eye on Bio.News for breaking news. |
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CDC issues new recommendations for respiratory diseases |
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The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) issued new recommendations for vaccines against COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and flu to prepare for respiratory disease season.
Vaccines for everyone: CDC yesterday recommended everyone older than six months receive the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines due for release this fall.
Moving target: “The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is always changing and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time,” CDC explained. Updated COVID-19 vaccines come later this year from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer.
New trivalent flu vaccines protect against H1N1, H3N2 and a B/Victoria lineage virus and include a new influenza A(H3N2) virus.
RSV shots for adults: All adults 75 and older and those 60 to 74 with increased risk of severe RSV due to medical conditions should receive the RSV vaccine, CDC said Wednesday. Those who’ve received one RSV vaccine don’t need another.
The bottom line: “Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. |
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NIH Innovation Zone: Targeting ‘undruggable’ proteins, facilitating auto-injection |
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Innovations to enable targeting DNA switches and facilitating auto-injections were among the many highlighted at the 2024 BIO International Convention, Bio.News reports.
Watch this space: Thirty exciting innovators supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) SEED program presented on the NIH Innovation Zone Stage at the 2024 BIO International Convention—including Talus Bio and Pirouette Medical.
Talus Bio enables better understanding of transcription factors—“proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences, controlling which genes are on or off at any given time,” according to an interview in Bio.News. Errors in TF activity cause many diseases, but TFs are “‘undruggable,’ because they lack suitable binding sites for traditional small molecule drugs.”
Real-time measurement: Talus Bio’s TF-Scan platform can measure the activity of TFs within live, unmodified human cells, allowing the company “to identify new molecules to block disease-causing TFs.” |
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Pirouette Medical’s auto-injectors are designed to deliver intuitive and error-free injections—which “ensures anyone can administer life-saving medication correctly without fear or hesitation,” the company tells Bio.News.
Plans to expand: Pirouette is developing injection solutions for people with allergies or those needing treatment for opioid overdoses, and they plan on expanding to drugs for other treatments, such as diabetes, chronic pain management, and hormone replacement therapies. |
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We’ll be off for the July 4 holiday next week—here are a few interesting things to read.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for 3.5 million Medicare patients, according to a new analysis. Although the IRA contains “important coverage improvements in Medicare Part D… seniors and people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare Part D and take a medicine subject to an MFP [Maximum Fair Price] are likely to see an average increase of 12% in annual out-of-pocket costs.,” says PhRMA, which commissioned the study. Low-income, Black, and Asian beneficiaries are expected to be hit hardest. Read more from PhRMA.
Meet CirculAir, LanzaJet and LanzaTech’s new pathway for sustainable aviation fuel. The solution combines the two BIO members’ technologies “to create a seamless process for converting waste carbon into SAF.” It starts with LanzaTech’s technology to ferment waste carbon into ethanol, which LanzaJet converts into SAF. Read more from LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis.
LGBTQ+ biotech leaders celebrate progress and recognize gaps. As Pride Month concludes, Endpoints News honors LGBTQ+ biotech leaders—including BIO Board member Eric Dube of Travere Therapeutics and execs from members Vertex, Merck, BMS, and Johnson & Johnson. However, as the awards ceremony and BIO’s recent DEI report show, work must be done to promote inclusion.Read more at Bio.News.
ICYMI: It’s not too late to catch up on BIO 2024. Find our 2024 BIO International Convention coverage—including panel recaps, exclusive interviews with biotech leaders, and an op-ed by Ginkgo Bioworks CEO Dr. Jason Kelly—right here at Bio.News.
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President Biden’s Friday: Joining First Lady Jill Biden in delivering remarks at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center grand opening ceremony.
What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Easing into the holiday week. |
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