Hearing probes pandemic prep progress

We’re gearing up for the State of the Union, where President Biden’s expected to talk about drug price controls. In the meantime, we review a pandemic preparedness hearing and what U.S. officials are saying about Mexico’s looming corn ban. (626 words, 3 minutes, 7 seconds)

Hearing probes White House pandemic prep progress

Seven months after its creation, lawmakers probed progress at the office charged with addressing the next pandemic.

The hearing: The House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic questioned Major General (retired) Paul Friedrichs, M.D., Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR), about the office’s ability to address “known and unknown biological threats or pathogens” that could cause a public health crisis.

It starts with preparation: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) noted shortages arose at the onset of COVID-19; chemotherapies, antibiotics, and other drugs are still in short supply. She asked how we can address this, including encouraging the production of more active ingredients in the United States.

Medical supply chain experts are part of the OPPR team “in support of that broader supply chain effort across the whole of government,” replied Gen. Friedrichs.

“There will be other pandemics,” warned Subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-OH), who asked about “silos” preventing better coordination. Reps. John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA) also asked about bureaucratic barriers and duplication, respectively.

Coordination is central to OPPR’s mission, said Gen. Friedrichs. He committed to adding value through efficient operation, adding OPPR’s powers only allow it to coordinate, not implement policy.

BIO member CEO who fights pain earns NIH award

Dr. Hernan Bazan, CEO and co-founder of BIO member South Rampart Pharma, a company working on next-generation painkillers, received a 2024 NIH HEAL Initiative Award.

The award, recognizing “researchers for Excellence in Research, Mentorship, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Community Partnership,” was presented at the 5th Annual NIH HEAL Initiative Scientific Meeting in February.

With a distinguished career, Dr. Bazan is developing pain medications with a mechanism comparable to acetaminophen in Tylenol—but with fewer side effects. 

Listen: Hear Dr. Bazan speak in an episode of the I am BIO Podcast.

U.S. counters Mexican official’s claims on biotech corn safety

U.S. officials push back on assertions by a Mexican official, saying decades of scientific evidence supports the safety of biotech corn, as the plans to phase out their imports looms.  

The background: A 2020 Mexican presidential decree would phase out U.S. biotech corn imports this year. The U.S. challenged the ban as unscientific and a violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), asking a USMCA dispute panel to rule on the case.

The latest: Mexican Deputy Agriculture Secretary Victor Suarez told Reuters yesterday the United States must prove biotech corn will not harm Mexico’s population, saying, “We still haven’t seen the science of the United States or the companies. We are looking forward to that study with great pleasure.”

“Decades’ worth of evidence” shows the safety of biotech corn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official told Reuters. “Scientific authorities, including in Mexico, have consistently found biotech products like corn to be safe,” agreed a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) official.

Booming Mexican demand drove record orders totaling 15.3 metric tons of U.S. corn on Jan. 18, exceeding the day’s previous record by 20%, Reuters reported.

BIO’s view: When the USTR called for the dispute panel in August, BIO VP of International Affairs Nancy Travis said: “We thank USTR for moving forward expeditiously with this important next step toward returning trade with Mexico to the science-based trade conditions to which North American trade partners agreed in the USMCA.”

What’s next: The panel’s decision is expected in November. We’ll be watching.

President Biden’s Thursday: Giving his State of the Union address tonight, where he is expected to discuss drug price controls, per reports. Ahead of the speech, the White House released a fact sheet on how the Biden administration is taking action to “lower costs” for American families, touting work to lower drug prices and go after “Big Pharma.” We’ll be watching the SOTU and expect to report back tomorrow.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Dr. Jason Kelly, CEO of BIO member Ginkgo Bioworks, will testify today before the House Select Committee on the CCP.