Good Day BIO: Mexico proposes amendments to corn ban

We’re officially in the home stretch of the year. Today, we have news on Mexico’s proposed corn ban, a recap of BIO’s event during the U.S.-Africa Summit and what it means for cancer in Africa, and a lot more health news. (791 words, 3 minutes, 57 seconds)

Mexican officials propose amendments to ban on biotech corn

Mexican officials on Friday proposed amendments to the plan to ban imports of biotech corn from the U.S. and said they expect to reach “mutual understanding” by January, according to reports.

“There was candid conversation about our deep concerns around the restrictions of the importation of biotech corn and other biotechnology products,” said a joint statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai following their meeting with a Mexican delegation in Washington, D.C. Friday.

The original plan: Mexico would phase out biotech corn imports beginning in 2024 under the 2020 presidential decree. The move is expected to reduce corn imports from the United States by half, harming both countries’ economies and food security, reports show.

The proposed ban would violate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and require a legal response, said a letter last week from bipartisan lawmakers and past statements from BIO.

The new amendments to the decree will be reviewed quickly, Tai and Vilsack said. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the two sides were aiming to reach an agreement by the end of January, Reuters reported.

BIO’s take: After Friday’s discussion, BIO reiterated its call for Mexico to “resume a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process,” or else the U.S. government should “begin taking enforcement action provided within USMCA to give a concrete process and timeline to resolve Mexico’s treatment of agricultural biotechnology.”

More Agriculture and Environment News:

Bloomberg: Bird flu epidemic and farm culls will make eggs, chicken, turkey expensive
“The bird flu outbreak ravaging global poultry flocks is now the worst since records began, driving a spike in the price of eggs, threatening free-range chicken and risking long-term impacts to animal health.”

BIO unites industry and governments for fight against cancer in Africa

On Thursday, BIO hosted leaders from industry and governments in the U.S. and Africa to map out collaboration against cancer, the day after the White House announced plans to strengthen support for Africa under the Cancer Moonshot initiative.

What happened: The side event to Biden’s U.S.-Africa Leader’s Summit brought together BIO members with government officials to plan public-private partnerships targeting cancer in Africa.

Cancer is projected to kill 1 million people in Africa by 2030, and the lack of treatment on the continent means the disease is generally a death sentence, according to BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), a global health non-profit founded by BIO in 2004.

Five-year plan: At the gathering, BVGH signed a five-year strategic partnership to fight cancer alongside the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority by deepening the two organizations’ existing cooperation, which already includes supporting a cancer center in Nigeria.

Expanded Moonshot: The Cancer Moonshot is Biden’s initiative to cut cancer death rates in half in 25 years and improve the experience of cancer patients, and a U.S. official presented plans to increase Moonshot activities in support of Africa.

What BIO’s doing: BIO announced a program to promote promising African entrepreneurs by bringing them for free to the June 5-8 BIO International Convention in Boston. BIO Interim CEO Rachel King said the entrepreneurs will receive free partnering passes and support ahead of the event.

More Health News: 

KFF: One-third of parents now oppose schools requiring children to get vaccinated for measles and other illnesses, up since the COVID-19 pandemic began
“[N]early three in ten adults (28%) nationally now say that parents should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children for measles, mumps, and rubella rather than those vaccinations being required to attend public schools, up from 16% in a 2019 Pew Research Center poll conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Among parents, opposition to requiring those childhood vaccines now stands at 35%, up from 23% in 2019.” 

STAT News: We finally have new drugs for sickle cell disease. Why are so few patients taking them?
“The country’s three largest major pharmacy benefit managers don’t include Oxbryta on their list of preferred drugs. That means providers have to jump through extra hoops to obtain coverage. The same holds true for Medicaid, which covers more than half of all sickle cell patients.” 

The New York Times: New COVID booster shots cut risk of hospitalization by half, CDC reports
“Updated booster shots have bolstered Americans’ defenses against serious COVID, reducing the risk of hospitalization by roughly 50 percent compared with certain groups inoculated with the original vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a pair of studies published on Friday.” 

President Biden’s Monday: Meeting at the White House with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador, then hosting a Hanukkah reception.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: After approving a one-week funding bill last week, Congress continues work this week ahead of the new deadline of Friday, December 23. Meanwhile, the House January 6 Committee will formally release its final report during a hearing at 1 PM ET.