Biotechnology, Public Health, and National Security
Since its inception in the 1970's, the biotechnology industry's mission has been to improve and save human lives. The industry has followed through on that commitment with more than 120 new drugs and vaccines, plus another 350 in late-stage clinical development. Biotechnology has also been used to benefit the environment, with new crops that reduce pesticide use and industrial enzymes that cut chemical waste and energy consumption in manufacturing. Now, BIO and its members are responding to the call to develop products for national and homeland defense - vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, rapid response systems and decontamination enzymes aimed at neutralizing the agents of biological warfare.
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, BIO has been meeting with government officials and our members to explore how we can best address our nation's urgent public health needs. A recent survey shows that many biotech companies are already working on defense projects, or are developing technologies that can be used for both conventional health care and for defense against biological agents. Some companies have technologies "on the back burner" - i.e., not under active development - that could be developed for defense. As we enter the biotechnology century, we must think about and develop even more biological solutions to our public health and national security challenges.
Policy
- BIO has a long-standing policy of opposing the use of biotechnology to develop weapons of any sort that contain pathogens or toxins aimed at killing or injuring humans, crops or livestock.
- Appropriate uses of biotechnology include products and services to inoculate citizens against infectious agents that may be used in an attack, to detect biological or chemical attacks, and to diagnose and treat those who may have been exposed to a biological or chemical attack.
The Biotechnology Industry: A Strategic Asset
- Many U.S. biotechnology companies are actively developing biological defense technologies. Some companies are working on defense-specific technologies under contracts with the federal government. Many more are working on technologies that can be used for both conventional health care and biological defense, such as antivirals and antibiotics.
- Biotechnology companies have a number of technologies, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, that can be enlisted to fight bioterrorism.
Vaccines
- Vaccines of varying efficacy and convenience exist for anthrax, smallpox, plague and tularemia, and vaccines are in development for other infectious agents that may be used in biological assaults. The major challenges in vaccine technology are to improve their safety, to develop vaccines against a variety of infectious agents (including new strains), to shorten the time needed to establish immunity (some vaccines require multiple boosters to be effective), and to be able to produce them in large quantities. Biotechnology companies are working to solve these problems with new vaccines based on improved delivery technologies and discoveries made through genetic research. <
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- Researchers are using live attenuated vaccine vector technology to induce rapid protection. Applications include a third-generation anthrax vaccine. This strategy has the flexibility to address a number of different bioterrorism agents and can elicit a long-lasting immune response after a single oral dose.
- Agricultural biotechnology researchers are working on fruits and vegetables genetically engineered to contain vaccines. Such foods could protect large populations in a very short period of time.
- Vaccines of varying efficacy and convenience exist for anthrax, smallpox, plague and tularemia, and vaccines are in development for other infectious agents that may be used in biological assaults. The major challenges in vaccine technology are to improve their safety, to develop vaccines against a variety of infectious agents (including new strains), to shorten the time needed to establish immunity (some vaccines require multiple boosters to be effective), and to be able to produce them in large quantities. Biotechnology companies are working to solve these problems with new vaccines based on improved delivery technologies and discoveries made through genetic research.
Therapeutics
