New weather data highlights need for biotech, ASAP

The bad news: The planet’s almost definitely getting hotter. The better news: Biotech has solutions to address the impact and curb future emissions. Plus, news on a groundbreaking menopause treatment, ARPA-H, and the RSV vaccine race. (545 words, 2 minutes, 43 seconds)

The planet’s almost definitely getting hotter. What can we do about it?

New data on global warming trends highlight the need to advance biotech solutions ASAP. 

The news: There’s a 98% chance that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record—and a 66% chance we’ll reach the 1.5°C warming threshold by 2027, says new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

What they’re saying: “This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management, and the environment. We need to be prepared,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

Biotech can help us prepare—by ensuring the health of humans, animals, and our food supply can withstand the impact of rising temperatures.

Biotech can also help reduce carbon—which absorbs and radiates heat, warming the planet. As emissions have increased, the planet’s gotten warmer, as we previously explained.

Emissions-busting biotech includes developments like animal feed that reduces methane emissions, sustainable aviation fuel and low-carbon biofuels made from food waste, and even carbon-devouring trees.

So, what do we need to do? We need to enact policy that better facilitates the development and use of this biotech—learn more.

FDA approves groundbreaking treatment for menopause hot flashes

National Women’s Health Week brought an important development: the approval of a much-needed new treatment option for hot flashes caused by menopause.

The news: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Astellas Pharma’s Veozah, the first approved neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist to treat moderate to severe hot flashes.

How it works: As estrogen levels drop during menopause, the balance between estrogen and neurokinin B (NKB), the brain chemical that regulates the body’s temperature control center, is disrupted. The drug blocks activities of the NK3 receptor, helping to better regulate body temperature, explains Bio.News.

Why it matters: Vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats are the most common menopausal symptoms, affecting 60-80% of women in the U.S.—and some women experience significant symptoms for more than a decade after their last menstrual cycle.

A welcome development: Treatments developed specifically for menopause are sorely lacking, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—which is safe and effective—has long faced reputational challenges due to a flawed 2002 study that overstated risks, The New York Times recently reported.

But more research is needed—listen to this episode of the I am BIO Podcast, which explores why we need to “get uncomfortable” talking about women’s health and invest in an area of health that affects half the population.

More Health News:

ARPA-H: Biden Harris Administration’s ARPA-H initiative launches new program to help joints heal themselves
“The Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis (NITRO)…seeks to develop new ways of helping the human body repair its own joints, with the goal of revolutionizing treatment for osteoarthritis—a common and often very painful condition where bones and cartilage break down.” 

Pfizer: FDA advisory committee votes in support of approval for Pfizer’s vaccine candidate to help prevent RSV in infants through maternal immunization
“Pfizer is currently the only company pursuing regulatory applications for an RSV investigational vaccine candidate for both an older adult indication, as well as a maternal indication to help protect infants through maternal immunization.”

President Biden’s Friday: In Japan for the G7 Summit, joining a summit on Ukraine, where world leaders prepared for new sanctions against Russia, per CNN. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Enjoy the weekend.