Good Day BIO: Why we need to share health data across borders

As COVID-19 has shown, it’s critically important to share health data across international borders. BIO explains why Europe's proposed health data initiative must enable the international exchange of data.

The background: The European Commission has proposed a European Health Data Space, to “promote better exchange and access to different types of health data (electronic health records, genomics data, data from patient registries etc.),” to support health care delivery, research, and policymaking. BIO submitted comments in support, noting it must be constructed to enable international exchange of data. 

“Data flows between the United States and the European Union are critical for advancing biomedical research,”explains Justin Pine, BIO’s Senior Director of International Affairs for IP and Data Policy, writing for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). 

“However, restrictions on obtaining and using global data sets may frustrate and delay scientific advances in the biotech space,” affecting R&D, clinical trials, and the delivery of treatment to patients. 

Restrictions have a high cost,found a recent study commissioned by Facebook. As one example, if data sharing is restricted, pharmaceutical companies may have to spend an additional €8.9 billion to relocate clinical trials outside Europe. 

The importance of international data flows has been especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where transatlantic collaborations (like Pfizer-BioNTech) led to lifesaving vaccines. But if data sharing had not been possible, vaccine development likely would have been delayed—costing the EU economy €70 billion for each month of delay in approval.

Read: Pfizer on Harnessing the Power of Data and Digital Technology 

“Uncertainties around the ability to transfer data abroad to support biotech research do a disservice to science, which is increasingly globalized and interconnected,”concludes Pine. “Strengthening scientific cooperation between the EU and the global biotech community should be a priority. It can be incentivized appropriately without impinging on the legitimate protections of EU citizens' privacy rights."

The next steps: BIO looks forward to continuing to work to strengthen the U.S.-EU bond and ensure the timely and efficient transfer of data to support cutting-edge R&D.  

Questions about routine vaccines? Visit the CDC’s National Immunization Awareness Month resource center or Stronger, an initiative to stop the spread of vaccine misinformation. 

Questions about COVID vaccines? Visit www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.  

More Health Care News:

Science: The overlooked superpower of mRNA vaccines
“They prevent symptomatic disease, curb hospitalization, and reduce death. But for public health purposes, a vaccine's mastery at something less obvious is equally important: the ability to prevent even asymptomatic infection.”

We’ve talked a lot about pandemic preparedness as it relates to health—but what about our food? While we’re seeing warning signs of “plant pandemics," we have tools already to stop them in their tracks, says FastCompany. 

“Across farms worldwide, there are now warning signs of a pandemic in food crops,” says FastCompany. “More than 600 pest species have developed some form of resistance to pesticides, which causes $10 billion in losses in the United States alone each year. Climate volatility intensifies these threats, and many crops are already suffering—citrus blight and banana fungus wreak havoc for growers and supply chains.” 

This harms more than just the plants: “With global food supplies vulnerable and food prices at their highest in almost a decade, a plant pandemic could push more people into poverty and cause social unrest.” 

Gene editing is one of the best tools available to help—making crops ranging from the essential banana to summer salad favorites more resilient in the face of extreme weather and disease, to enabling plants to sequester more carbon, slowing climate change. 

Watch: CRISPR pioneer Dr. Jennifer Doudna explains CRISPR for plant breeding 

And ag should “take a page from healthcare’s playbook,” continues FastCompany, “adopting a targeted approach” with CRISPR and other technology and ensuring policy supports the speedy deployment of technologies that can address threats. 

Read: Let’s not forget the lessons of the pandemic 

But gene editing’s not the only tool in the toolbox—read about many more in BIO’s recent report, Biotech Solutions for Climate.



More Agriculture & Environment News:

Vermont Public Radio: Reporter Debrief: Do You Really Know What You Think You Know About GMOs?
"...I think having reported this, it actually has changed my mind. Because one of the things I learned was that during just traditional crossbreeding — when you crossbreed, you know, to get a new tomato or a new apple — boy, we are changing the genetics in ways we don't even understand. We are dragging like large, large numbers of genes over from one thing to another, and we're not even testing those to see whether it has changed the nutritional value or anything else."

President Biden’s Tuesday: Meeting with Latinx community leaders to discuss his economic agenda, immigration reform, and voting rights. At 3:45 PM ET, he’s scheduled to give remarks on COVID-19 vaccinations. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is threatening to take away the August recess if the Senate doesn’t take action on infrastructure, reports POLITICO. The New York Times has more on what the infrastructure proposal would do for climate resilience.