Good Day BIO: World Food Day, Taiwan Expo USA, and CSBA highlights

Breaking this AM, Biden will sign an EO asking HHS to "explore additional actions it can take to lower prescription drug costs." Ahead of World Food Day, we look at how biotech can ensure no one is left behind when it comes to accessing nutritious food. Plus, we recap a busy week for biotech partnerships, from the Taiwan Expo in Washington, D.C., to several CSBA member events nationwide. (644 words, 3 minutes, 13 seconds).

World Food Day: Biotech can ensure no one is left behind

Ahead of World Food Day (Sunday), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says we must leave no one behind when it comes to accessing enough quality, nutritious food—a goal that can be achieved with biotechnology.

By the numbers:828 million people worldwide went hungry in 2021—150 million more since the outbreak of COVID-19—while about one-third of food produced globally is wasted.

The challenge: “Conflict, climate change, slowdowns and downturns, inequality, rising food prices are denying progress to many, limiting progress for us all,” says the UN FAO. “Sustainability starts with equal opportunity—more and good quality food for all.”

The solution:biotechnology—which can help address the impact of climate change and supply chains, as well as help tackle food waste.

Specifically: gene editing—which is producing crops that can better withstand drought and last longer and reduce food waste, crops with enhancednutrition to feed the world, and even food animals that can survive extreme heat.

More Reading: USDA: Biotech can boost agriculture productivity, sustainability

Luckily, many governments are taking notice—from Kenya, where 3.5 million people face severe hunger, recently lifting its ban on GMOs to address drought, to the U.S., which greenlit the first gene-edited crop for marketing under new regulations.

But some still have work to do—like Mexico, which is still planning a GMO corn ban expected to cost the U.S. and Mexico billions.

Biotech innovation’s booming—from Georgia and South Dakota, to Taiwan

It’s been a busy week of events highlighting biotech innovation in the U.S. and worldwide, and the importance of partnerships in driving the next generation of cures.

What’s happening:Taiwan Expo USA, where U.S.-Taiwan biotech partnership and innovation have been on full display all week. The Taiwan Healthcare Pavilion has showcased Taiwanese biotech startups and A.I. and telemedicine technologies.

What they’re saying: “We are looking forward to more cooperation between U.S. and Taiwan [biotech] industries,” said Chen Chien-jen, the former vice president of Taiwan, in an exclusive interview with Bio.News. “I think this can accelerate innovation a lot.”

Watch:

P.S. Today’s the last day of the Taiwan Expo—if you’re in D.C., check it out!

It’s also been an important week for biotech in the U.S., as several Council for State Bioscience Association (CSBA) members held events in states including:

• Georgia: Georgia BIO’s CHGI Innovation Summit featured speakers including Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan and former CDC Director (and former BIO Board member) Julie Gerberding, sponsored by BIO.  
• North Carolina: BIO’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Cartier Esham spoke about health equity and disparity at the NCBIO Annual Meeting.
• South Dakota:South Dakota BIO’s annual meeting had a heavy agriculture and climate focus with a keynote from Dr. Kevin Kephart, Deputy Director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
• Wisconsin: BioForward Wisconsin’s Biohealth Summit featured biotech companies and innovators from Wisconsin and nationwide discussing how to address future health challenges now.

The context: Biotechnology is a key driver of healthy state economies and communities, state economic development experts agree—and 43 of 47 State of the State addresses by governors this year mentioned biotech as a priority.

P.S. Today’s your last chance—vote for BIO members nominated for California Life Sciences’ Pantheon Awards!

More Health Care News:

Biopharma Dive: GSK sets high bar with trial results for RSV vaccine
“GSK’s vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus proved strongly effective in a large Phase 3 trial, reducing cases of lower respiratory infection in people 60 years and older by 83% when compared to those given a placebo.” 

CNBC: Moderna and Merck will jointly develop a cancer vaccine for high-risk melanoma patients
“Moderna’s messenger RNA vaccine is being studied in combination with Merck’s Keytruda to treat patients with high-risk melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in a phase two trial.”

President Biden’s Friday: He’s in Orange County, CA, where he’s expected to discuss his prescription drug price plan, with a new executive order “directing the Department of Health and Human Services to explore additional actions it can take to lower prescription drug costs,” including the HHS Innovation Center. He’ll then head to Portland, OR, for a grassroots volunteer event with Oregon Democrats. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Recess.