Good Day BIO: We need diversity in STEM – pandemic or not

 A new episode of the I am BIO Podcast looks at STEM education and how we can make it more diverse—pandemic or not. Meanwhile, Congress is in recess so we take the time to look at what happened with infrastructure and social spending and what’s ahead for drug pricing. (795 words, 3 minutes, 58 seconds)

Challenges (and a few surprises) while promoting diversity in STEM during COVID

Women and students from marginalized groups are often left out of STEM fields, and the pandemic added both challenges and surprises to the process, say guests in the latest episode of the I am BIO Podcast.

Women comprise 52% of the U.S. population—but just 29% of STEM positions, said Jo Webber, CEO of STEMconnector, an organization which works to increase STEM workers in the global talent pool. 

“Diversity's vital to progressing in the STEM fields, as it brings different insights and ideas to the table,” said Jennifer Colvin of Learning Undefeated, which sends mobile labs in shipping containers to schools where students can benefit from exposure to science-technology-engineering-math (STEM). 

Read: The pandemic highlights need for more women scientists 

COVID-19 created challenges for STEM students, with some university research labs even shutting down at the start of the pandemic, explained Barak Balva, who was a science student at Loyola University Chicago when the pandemic began.

But online education created opportunities to reach more students and teachers, too. “There's just a world of opportunity available to us now that we have actually harnessed the virtual learnings space,” Learning Undefeated’s Colvin added.

Students need to see others like them involved in STEM. Young girls in accelerated school programs often “feel isolated,” said Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code, which provides coding and tech training to young women of color. “When they come into these spaces and find community, they blossom.”

How can you link up with diverse STEM talent? Join the Forum for Diversity in Biotech and STEM, BIO’s LinkedIn group to connect biotech employers with top diverse talent—read more. 

Listen: The episode is available at www.bio.org/podcast or via Apple, Google, or Spotify.

Catching up on Congressional budget action and drug pricing

While Congress is in recess, here’s a quick look back at what happened last week and where things go from here, especially on drug pricing. 

ICYMI: The House approved Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan and sent it to him for signature on Friday. However, they did not (yet) pass the social spending plan, which includes a measure establishing drug price controls.

Yes, drug price controls are still on the table. A “deal” on drug pricing was announced Nov. 2, and it seems there to stay, though passage may take a while. The provision received the blessing of the White House as well as moderates in the House and Senate. 

In short, the provision would give Medicare power to set prices on the 10 most expensive drugs in 2023 and more later,as we reported last week. Per the White House summary, “Drugs become eligible for negotiation once they have been on the market for a fixed number of years: 9 years for small molecule drugs and 12 years for biologics. Medicare will negotiate up to 10 drugs per year during 2023, with those prices taking effect in 2025, increasing to up to 20 drugs per year.”

Other things in the drug pricing provision:

• Manufacturers will be required to pay a tax penalty of the value of any drug price increases over the level of inflation.
• The cost of insulin would be capped at $35 per month.
• Medicare Part D out-of-pocket prescription costs would be capped at $2,000 per year.

“The centerpiece of the proposal—‘negotiation’—is fundamentally government price fixing in disguise,” said BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath. “The policy will create billions of dollars in market distortions and unintended consequences. It will disrupt our innovation ecosystem and crowd out the next generation of new therapies that could transform the standard of care for patients and help bring down our nation’s long-term health care costs. It will have enormous implications in what research investments are made and if important new classes of medicines can attract the funding they need to get from the bench to a patient’s bedside.” 

What’s next? Moderate Democrats insist the vote wait until the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reviewed the bill, which could take weeks and lead to more negotiation in the House and Senate. This makes Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s goal of passing the bill by Thanksgiving seem ambitious. 

In the meantime…visit www.SaveCures.com to learn more about why drug prices set by the government would harm patients and future cures and contact your Member of Congress.

President Biden’s Tuesday: Speaking at a virtual grassroots event for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), followed by a virtual fundraiser. The head of the DNC says the party will double down on promoting Biden’s achievements and agenda. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Recess. The House Financial Services Committee will hold a full-committee hearing, Eliminating Barriers to Full Economic Inclusion for the LGBTQ+ Community, with witnesses including Todd Sears, Founder and CEO of Out Leadership (of which BIO’s the first advocacy association and biotechnology-focused member).