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We bring you more coverage from BIO-Europe in Munich, with what experts are saying about the proposed EU-Pharma Law. And as dengue fever spreads (including in the U.S.), biotech is providing hope in the form of promising vaccines and modified mosquitoes. (540 words, 2 minutes, 42 seconds) |
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Proposed EU Pharma Law could harm innovation, experts tell BIO-Europe |
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The proposed EU General Pharmaceutical Legislation includes provisions that would harm biotech innovation and chase startups out of Europe, experts said at BIO-Europe in Munich.
Good intentions, but…The proposal is a misguided attempt to enhance patient access, but some provisions will backfire, said Dr. Claire Skentelbery, Director-General of EuropaBio, and Daniel Steiners, Bayer’s GM for Pharma in Germany, speaking at BIO-Europe.
But the current proposal shortens IP protection—to six years from eight years. It also places onerous conditionalities for additional years of market exclusivity, such as requiring a product to be launched simultaneously in all 27 EU countries.
The impact: Rather than taking risks in Europe, drug makers will stay in U.S. and Asian markets, leaving Europeans without access to drugs, Steiners argues.
What’s next: Biotechs need to lobby lawmakers to improve the current plan before it’s approved, Dr. Skentelbery said. BIO is already on the case and has been working to influence the final law. Read more in Bio.News. |
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As dengue spreads, biotech provides promise |
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Dengue fever is spreading—with a couple of extremely rare cases of local transmission in the U.S. But, biotechnology (including genetically modified mosquitoes) can reduce the threat.
Once “confined to the tropics,” dengue fever has been spreading in new locations, including Italy, France, and Chad—and last week, two locally transmitted cases were identified in Southern California. Why it matters: “This is the first confirmed case of dengue in California not associated with travel and is instead an extremely rare case of local transmission in the continental United States,” the Pasadena Public Health Department announced.
The better news: Colombia reported a “dramatic fall” in dengue cases—by as much as 97% in some regions—after the release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes bred to carry a bacterium that prevents the insect from transmitting viruses.
Scientists are also using genetic modification to control mosquito populations. Oxitec announced that the latest release of “non-biting, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes” in Key West showed they “perform well in the field” and “can reduce the local abundance of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito.” What they’re saying: “Oxitec’s targeted biological pest control technology is safe, sustainable, and harmless to the local ecosystem, including beneficial insects like bees and butterflies,” said the company on Nov. 3.
Other biotech interventions include promising vaccines in development by BIO members Sanofi and Takeda, which have been shown to reduce symptomatic dengue significantly.
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| Make the Most of Your Presence at COP28
| As we continue to make plans for BIO’s presence at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), it would be helpful to know if any members plan to have a presence there, as well. If anyone from your company or organization is planning to be there, contact Tamra Spielvogel, BIO’s climate specialist, so we can coordinate and maximize visibility opportunities.
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