|
|
|
President Biden’s set to announce an executive order today that will provide more funding for biomanufacturing, and also announce a BIO member company scientist to lead ARPA-H. Plus, the HHS Secretary expressed support for addressing AMR during last week’s World AMR Congress. (768 words, 3 minutes, 50 seconds) |
|
|
|
|
Biden to boost biomanufacturing |
|
|
Biden is set to sign an executive order today that will “help expand U.S. biomanufacturing and reduce reliance on China,” per Bloomberg—here’s what we know.
The news: Biden will speak in Boston today about the Cancer Moonshot, where he’ll discuss a new executive order “to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry,” reports Reuters.
What we know: The order is expected to allow the federal government “to direct funding for the use of microbes and other biologically derived resources to make new foods, fertilizers and seeds, as well as making mining operations more efficient,” per Reuters, and include a focus on building a biomanufacturing workforce and infrastructure.
What we don’t know: “how much money would be available, where it would come from, or how it would be allocated,” says Reuters.
He’ll also announce the head of ARPA-H—Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, who currently works at BIO member Gingko Bioworks (and previously worked for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA).
The next steps: The White House will hold a summit on Wednesday to discuss the executive order in more detail—stay tuned.
More Agriculture and Environment News: USDA: APHIS Issues First Regulatory Status Review Response: Norfolk Plant Sciences’ Purple Tomato
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reviewed a new tomato from Norfolk Plant Sciences. The tomato was modified to alter its color and enhance its nutritional quality."
|
|
|
|
|
HHS Secretary calls for more support for fighting AMR |
|
|
Last week, 600 attendees (including BIO) joined the World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Congress in Washington, D.C., where Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called for more support for addressing AMR.
Catch up quick: More than 1.2 million people died from AMR in 2019, and the problem’s only going to get worse without new antibiotics and antimicrobials. But we need to fix the antimicrobial business model with legislation—like The PASTEUR Act, which would create a “Netflix-style” subscription model where the government would pay upfront for access to antimicrobials, based on the valuable impact that innovative treatments have on public health rather than sales volume.
The news: While Secretary Becerra didn’t explicitly endorse The PASTEUR Act (a BIO priority), he did indicate administration support for addressing AMR, referencing the PASTEUR-like language in President Biden’s FY23 budget request, BIO’s Director of Infectious Disease Policy Emily Wheeler told us.
Why it matters: Referencing the uptick in AMR-related hospitalizations and deaths during the pandemic, Secretary Becerra said, for many, AMR is “the second punch that gets the communities in America,” per Axios. “The second punch gets those who are least prepared, the most vulnerable, and the most underserved.”
The takeaway: Public health is having a moment—but we need to take advantage of the moment to invest in public health infrastructure and turn addressing AMR into a movement, especially by raising awareness, boosting the infectious disease workforce, and implementing much-needed policy to stabilize and sustain the broken antimicrobial market.
BIO’s role: BIO’s Phyllis Arthur and Emily Wheeler spoke at the World AMR Congress (alongside many BIO members) about the threat of AMR and urgent need for action. On the heels of the event, BIO and British academics and industry partners held a closed-door meeting to discuss regulatory, financing, and other issues, and we expect the dialogue to continue.
September is Sepsis Awareness Month—spreading awareness of the fact that sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals and the need for new antimicrobials to address it. Learn more and join the fight via the Sepsis Alliance. More Health Care News: WHO: New fund for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response formally established
The $1.4 billion fund “will provide a dedicated stream of additional, long-term financing to strengthen PPR capabilities in low- and middle-income countries and address critical gaps through investments and technical support at the national, regional, and global levels.” |
|
|
|
The sell-out musical about medical mold is back!
The Mold that Changed the World gained critical acclaim in 2018 when it took the world’s biggest arts fest, Edinburgh Fringe, by storm. Science and the arts combine to tell the story of Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin and warn the public about the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Performed by a cast of London West End actors and a chorus of local scientists and healthcare professionals, with the support of CDC Foundation, UK Government and Rockefeller Foundation, it’s showing in Atlanta and Washington DC this fall. Learn more and get your tickets at www.moldthatchangedtheworld.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
President Biden’s Monday: Heading to Boston, where he’s scheduled to give remarks on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at 12:45pm ET, then the Cancer Moonshot at 4pm ET, where he’s expected to “announce the appointment of Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the inaugural director of Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H),” per The Hill.
What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Both the House and Senate are officially back from recess—and it’s “a critical week in efforts to renew the user fees that help fund the Food and Drug Administration” and avoid furloughs, says Axios. On Wednesday, federal health officials will appear before the Senate HELP Committee to discuss the monkeypox response, while a Thursday House Science Oversight Subcommittee hearing will discuss aging therapies. |
|
|
|
|
