“This is the time for us to talk about the science”

The emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is “an important first step” in ending the pandemic—but there’s more work to be done, BIO’s Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath told CNN. Who’s next in line to receive it—and how do we ensure people will get it when they’re up?

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is now being distributed across the United States, to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities (phase 1a), as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Who’s next? We understand people with two or more comorbidities and other essential workers will be next, said Dr. Michelle. The CDC will meet this weekend to discuss phase 1b and 1c.

Luckily, vaccine hesitancy is declining—but not enough. Most Americans (71%) say they will “definitely” or “probably” get the vaccine, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey—but many are still hesitant.

How do we build confidence in the vaccine? We must provide “really clear information about what the vaccine does and does not do,” said Dr. Michelle. (BIO recently launched www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org to help.)

“This is time for us to talk about the science,to talk clearly about the very many steps and tests that these vaccines have been through before they can get to any individual in the U.S. population—and how we as scientists and clinicians have a lot of confidence in the steps that the Food and Drug Administration have taken thus far even in the face of political pressure,” she concluded. “They stood up to that pressure—they behaved heroically—and now we have some safe and efficacious vaccines at hand.”

Watch the whole thing.  

Spread the facts at www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.

More Health Care News: 

Biopharma Dive: FDA scientists back safety, efficacy of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine
“In a 54-page analysis released Tuesday, agency staff concluded Moderna's vaccine is both safe and ‘highly effective’ at preventing COVID-19 in adults, including those who are older or at higher risk of severe disease. Vaccination was consistently protective across racial and ethnic groups, the FDA said.” 

Endpoints News: AbbVie pulls the trigger on a COVID-19 antibody, going all in on a drug discovered by research alliance
“The Illinois-based biotech is now putting down a one-time license fee for worldwide development and commercialization rights to the antibody, which it says shows promise in not only SARS-CoV-2, but also related mutations of the virus and SARS-CoV-1.”

Gene editing breakthroughs are helping to feed the world, protect the planet, and combat climate change. Innovature explains how. 

Gene editing can make plant breeding more precise. With CRISPR, scientists can “make targeted improvements to a plant’s DNA, typically working solely within the plant’s own family” to make changes that could occur naturally much more quickly. 

It can make farming more sustainable, by enabling plants to use water more efficiently, making crops ranging from coffee to cocoa to sweet potatoes resistant to pests and disease, boosting plants’ natural access to nutrients like nitrogen, and helping crops thrive in marginal soil, thereby limiting the need to expand farming to undeveloped land.

And it can reduce food waste, by making foods such as potatoes non-browning. 

And it can do a whole lot more—including helping to sustain the planet’s ecosystems and reduce the impact of climate change. 

This sounds great. What’s the catch? The only catch is that policy needs to catch up with the science—which is why BIO continues to work to grow trust in biotech innovation.

More Agriculture and Environment News:

Fast Company: Recycled plastic is everywhere—and it’s harming the planet
“They still shed microfibers and will likely ultimately end up in a landfill.” 

Princeton University: Big but affordable effort needed for America to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Princeton study shows
“With a massive, nationwide effort the United States could reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 using existing technology and at costs aligned with historical spending on energy.”

2020 was a rollercoaster year for the biopharma industry. It was also the year the entire industry changed—from the global response to the global pandemic, to an unprecedented effort around vaccine development, to consideration of a new drug development model and the emergence of new opportunities to propel the industry forward.

On the latest episode of MassBio’s State of Possible Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics and Chairman of BIO, spoke about what to expect from the industry in 2021. 

Download and listen.

President Trump’s Wednesday: Cabinet meeting at 11:30 AM. 

President-elect Biden’s Wednesday: He announced two Cabinet picks: Pete Buttigieg for Transportation, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm for Energy. Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will be a senior adviser on climate change.   

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Lawmakers continue to work hard to finalize the budget and coronavirus relief before the Friday deadline. The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care will hold a hearing, The Alzheimer’s Crisis: Examining Testing and Treatment Pipelines and Fiscal Implications.