Good Day BIO: Drought technology and vaccine access

Another slow week in Washington, D.C. ahead—but the heat’s on America’s farmers struggling with drought. Meanwhile, we’ve talked a lot about how the Inflation Reduction Act will harm drug R&D—and that’s still true—but today, we look at the silver linings for access to vaccines. (606 words, 3 minutes, 1 second)

Drought is hurting America's farmers – but with biotech, it doesn't have to

Drought continues to dominate headlines worldwide—and it’s having an acute impact on farmers right here in the U.S. It’s time to deploy the biotech solutions that could help them weather the heat.

By the numbers: 74% of U.S. farmers say drought is reducing harvest yields, says a recent survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

How they’re responding: 42% are changing planned crops—while 37% are tilling under crops, and 33% are removing or destroying orchard trees or other multiyear crops, according to the survey of more than 650 farmers in 15 states.

In California alone, a major food-growing state, 50% of farmers are removing trees and crops, reports CNN, and farmers are having an especially tough time with tomatoes, one of the state’s key crops, per Bloomberg.

But we already have a solution: gene editing, which is making essential crops like wheat and rice resistant to drought and heat, while new research shows gene editing can make photosynthesis more efficient, boosting yield. (FWIW, gene editing’s making tomatoes tastier and more nutritious, too.)

Animal agriculture is affected by drought, too, with farmers in Texas selling off cattle herds due to a lack of water and food, explains CNN.

Biotech can help cattle, too—using gene editing to breed cattle with a so-called “slick” coat, which makes them resistant to heat and gives them the ability to efficiently function in these kinds of extreme weather conditions. The FDA greenlit this technology in March, Bio.News reported.   

What we need to do now:educate the public about these technologies and address challenges with acceptance.

Learn more: Bio.News has the latest on biotech solutions for agriculture and climate change.

Who the Inflation Reduction Act helps

The Inflation Reduction Act, as our readers know, will hit biotech innovation hard, making R&D less attractive and ultimately leading to fewer treatments. However, as Bio.News reports today, there are silver linings—especially with regards to vaccine availability under Medicare and Medicaid. 

The Inflation Reduction Act contains two important bills related to vaccine access: the Helping Adults Protect Immunity (HAPI) Act and the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act, which have long been supported by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and partners including the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) and Vaccinate Your Family.

The Helping Adults Protect Immunity (HAPI) Act will ensure “all adults on Medicaid can access vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at no out-of-pocket cost,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). The bill “would create parity in vaccine coverage between traditional Medicaid and Medicaid expansion programs. The bill would also provide enhanced federal matching funds for states to better reach at-risk and vulnerable patient populations.”

The Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act mirrors the HAPI Act’s expansion of vaccine access under Medicare for seniors, creating parity in the Medicare program and eliminating all cost sharing for seniors, explains Bio.News.

Why it matters: Low vaccination rates are expensive and strain health systems—and vaccine-preventable conditions add over $8.3 billion to the health system, according to AVAC. COVID-19 exacerbated the problem.

While the legislation’s long-term impacts on R&D and new cures will be severe, these provisions are nonetheless a win for patients’ access to existing vaccines—read more on Bio.News.

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President Biden’s Friday: Continuing summer vacation.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Recess.