LHR to JFK on 100% SAF

Virgin Atlantic flew the first commercial aircraft over the Atlantic powered 100% by SAF (with help from a BIO member). Meanwhile, Members of Congress recently told the Congressional Budget Office that they underestimated the real impact of price controls—their letter explains why. (477 words, 2 minutes, 23 seconds)

Virgin flies commercial aircraft over Atlantic – with 100% SAF

In a milestone for the planet and biotech, Virgin Airways yesterday flew the first transatlantic flight of a commercial airliner powered 100% by sustainable aviation fuel (and a BIO member).

The goal of “Flight100,” from London Heathrow to JFK, was to prove low-carbon, climate-friendly SAF can be used in long-haul flights, Virgin said. Flight100 did not carry commercial passengers, as regulations only allow a 50% blend of SAF in commercial flights.

What is SAF? Using bio-feedstocks like waste or renewable biomass and advanced bioprocessing, SAFs can be dropped into standard jet engines—and can lower emissions by as much as 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. 

A biofuel blend: Flight100 used about 70 tons of SAF blending 88% HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) supplied by AirBP and 12% SAK (Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene) supplied by BIO member Virent.

What’s next: Data from Flight100 will be analyzed by researchers to better understand the impacts and possibilities of SAF, Virgin said.

What they’re saying: “The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it. The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone’s benefit,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines and a passenger on the flight.

Learn more about fueling the energy transition.

Congress asks CBO to recalculate impact of price controls

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) apparently underestimated the real impact of drug price controls on drug development and should update estimates, Republican members of the House Budget Committee told CBO last week.

The first estimate: The CBO originally estimated Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) price controls would lead to one less drug being developed between now and 2030, and a total of 13 fewer drugs in the next 30 years.

Yes, but: Independent analyses found there would be from 139 fewer new drugs in 10 years to 135 fewer in 20 years, the letter said.

Investment is dropping: Drug makers, investment funds, and financial institutions publicly state the IRA’s chilling effect on clinical development decisions, the letter said. Bloomberg recently reported a slowdown in the industry, citing IRA’s impact.

To ensure a realistic assessment of IRA’s impact, the Members of Congress recommended CBO consider:

• trends in early-stage drug development investments by venture capitalists;
• reduced interest in developing small molecule drugs;
• selection of drugs with forthcoming biosimilar or generic competition for price controls;
• market barriers to higher launch prices for new drugs;
• the impact on therapeutic competitors of drugs selected for price controls;
• disincentives to develop drugs for indications with smaller populations;
• independent feedback regarding potential improvements to the drug development model. 

Read the letter here.

President Biden’s Wednesday: Visiting Pueblo CS Wind factory in Colorado, the largest wind-tower manufacturer in the world, to deliver remarks on how his administration’s policies mobilize investments in clean energy manufacturing and create jobs, per The Denver Post.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on AI in health care.