Good Day BIO: Two years tomorrow

Tomorrow is an important anniversary in the COVID-19 timeline—we look at how far we’ve come and what we need to do to end the pandemic. We also look at the role of leadership in growing the bioeconomy and introduce an innovative CEO and BIO's new climate policy director. (551 words, 2 minutes, 45 seconds)

Two years tomorrow

Tomorrow marks two years since the very first cases of COVID-19 were identified—so we’re taking a look at how far we’ve come and what we still need to do to end the pandemic.

December 8, 2019—“the first day where the first patient in the city of Wuhan sought medical help for pneumonia-like symptoms,” according to WHO and NIH. 

Most of the world woke up to the seriousness of the pandemic in March 2020—but by that point, the global biotechnology community had been working on the solutions for months. 

Within one year, vaccines were making their way into arms while new innovations in diagnostics and therapeutics were helping reduce new cases and deaths—read our one-year anniversary timeline. 

As we approach tomorrow’s anniversary, we’ve come a long way, with half the global population having had at least one dose of a vaccine (H/T Axios). But there are 100,000 new cases and more than 1,600 deaths daily in the U.S., primarily due to the Delta variant.

The good news: the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines remain highly effective against severe illness and death—and new technology allows the vaccines to be adapted within weeks if needed to address the Omicron variant.

The bottom line: “We know what we need to do against Delta, and that is get vaccinated, get boosted if you're eligible, and continue all of those prevention measures, including masking. And those are very likely to work against the Omicron variant,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. 

Do you have questions about the COVID vaccines? Visit www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.

More Health Care News: 

East Bay Times (Opinion): Biden risks killing his cancer moonshot on the launchpad
"Drug-pricing caps in the President's Build Back Better Act would destroy financial incentives for innovation," writes Paul Hastings, CEO of Nkarta Therapeutics and Chair of BIO.

Axios: Documents reveal the secrecy of America’s drug pricing matrix
“‘PBMs and consultants will work very hard to convince employers they have employers’ best interests at heart—until you ask for data,’ a longtime drug benefits expert said.”

We can grow the bioeconomy by growing bioeconomy leadership

We learned yesterday that the bioeconomy is key to healthier, more resilient air quality, supply chains, and even the economy itself—and we need innovative leaders to drive it forward.   

Why the bioeconomy matters: In addition to generating around 5% of the U.S. GDP, the bioeconomy has the potential to "reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, revitalize manufacturing and employment across the nation, create a more resilient supply chain, improve the nation’s health, and contribute significantly to the goal of creating a net-zero greenhouse gas economy,” says a new report. 

Leadership and talent development are key—and BIO members are leading the way in developing innovative new technologies (and an increasingly diverse workforce) and growing the bioeconomy to address some of our world’s biggest challenges.

These include leaders like LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren—the BIO Board member who has been at the helm of developing technology to recycle waste carbon emissions to create common items ranging from clothing to sustainable aviation fuel. 

Jennifer is in the running to be named Most Innovative Bioeconomy CEO of 2021—cast your vote now!

BIO’s developing our bioeconomy leadership too with the announcement of our new climate policy director, Tamra Spielvogel. She comes to BIO from the National Association of Home Builders, where she led the energy and environmental issue portfolio, working with over 700 state and local associations. Welcome, Tamra!

“To meet the challenges associated with climate change, it is crucial to lead with science and innovation,” said BIO’s Vice President of Agriculture Environment Sarah Gallo. “As Climate Policy Director at BIO, Tamra will lead the organization’s pursuit of policies that incentivize the adoption of innovative, sustainable technologies and practices; and streamline and expedite regulatory pathways for breakthrough technology solutions. Through this pivotal work, Tamra will help ensure science and biotechnology are included in legislation that looks to tackle the climate crisis.”

President Biden’s Tuesday: Meeting via secure video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House COVID-19 Response Team will hold a briefing at 12:30 PM ET. ICYMI, Biden spoke yesterday about the drug pricing provisions in the Build Back Better Act—here’s the text of his remarks (and there’s nothing new or particularly surprising there). 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Still working on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the debt ceiling—CNBC explains what could happen if the debt ceiling isn’t fixed. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to negotiate the Build Back Better Act, with the Christmas deadline in question, per CNN.