We hope you enjoy a holiday break—and we’ll be back if something big pops up—but in the meantime, here are five things to read or watch if you miss us.
1. From gene editing to an HIV vaccine to AI—Nature interviewed 11 experts about the clinical trials that could impact patients and the industry in 2024. Of course, BIO members make the list, including Verve Therapeutics’ base editing for hypercholesterolemia and Vir Biotechnology’s T cell vaccine for HIV. Keep an eye on AI, too.
2. Could carbon be ‘a resource, not just a liability?’ asks Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua, who interviewed LanzaTech CEO (and BIO Board member) Jennifer Holmgren about how the company transforms waste carbon into raw materials. “We take things that you normally consider pollution, and we give them a second life” using fermentation, said Holmgren—making everything from household and beauty products to aviation fuel.
3. This Genentech clinical trial sets a new standard for diversity and inclusion. BIO member Genentech recently announced the results of a multiple sclerosis clinical trial exclusively in Black and Hispanic patients, who face a greater risk of severe disease. The results demonstrated the drug's efficacy and safety and provided insights into how companies can make trials more diverse, David E. Jones, Senior Medical Director and Manager of Neuroimmunology at Genentech, explained to Bio.News.
4. ICYMI: ‘Biden ambushes pharma patents.’ That’s the message from the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, responding to the White House’s plans to allow the use of Bayh-Dole Act “march-in” rights to control drug prices—something the WSJ says could be the administration’s “most economically destructive executive act to date.”
5. Biotech is training nurses in Africa. Cancer mortality in Africa is on the rise, and nurses are often on the frontlines of care. BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) utilizes public-private partnerships with governments and hospitals across Africa to improve screening, education, and training, particularly for nurses, BVGH told Bio.News.
P.S. Need some listening for your long winter walks? You can catch the entire season of the I am BIO Podcast—and every past season—at www.bio.org/podcast.
BTW, we topped 40K subscribers this year—thanks to all of you for reading and sharing with your colleagues! We look forward to bringing you more biotech news in 2024.
