340B and PASTEUR Act - plus, more from BIO 2026

PASTEUR Act reintroduced in Senate

The PASTEUR Act addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was reintroduced in the Senate last week, joining the House version reintroduced in February.

Why it matters: Every year, 2.8 million Americans get a drug-resistant infection. Antibiotic resistance plays a role in 5 million deaths worldwide annually.

What PASTEUR would do: Encourage innovative drug development targeting drug-resistant “superbugs,” encourage appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungals, and ensure Americans can access critical antibiotics when needed, says an announcement from Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), who reintroduced the bill with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN). The legislation was also cosponsored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

BIO’s view: “Antimicrobial resistance continues to grow every day and leaves patients fighting infections with dwindling treatment options. PASTEUR takes an important step toward restoring a sustainable antimicrobial ecosystem,” per BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley.

Watch: The story of sepsis survivor Katy in the Fight of Our Lives

340B program at a crossroad as calls for transparency grow

The 340B drug pricing program has expanded dramatically, said panelists at BIO 2026, raising questions about transparency, costs, and whether it is benefiting the patients it was designed to serve.

Why it matters: “The 340B drug pricing program was created to help safety net providers serve vulnerable patients,” said Ashley John, Director of Issue Advocacy at Novartis. “But we really have seen tremendous growth over the past few years...and as transparency slowly increases, it is very clear that hospitals need better criteria for which patients they are serving.”

“When the program started 34 years ago, there were two nonprofit hospitals participating,” said Rory Martin, Ph.D., Senior Principal at IQVIA. “Today, there are 2,000, and the sheer size and scope of the program is distorting the entire U.S. healthcare system.”

“Many patients don’t know what 340B is,” said Patrick Wildman, Senior Vice President of Advocacy & Government Relations at the Lupus Foundation of America. “It's a decision of what do we do? Nothing, and let the program continue to grow exponentially and be driven by revenues, with patients being an afterthought? Or do we take a closer look at the burden, see how it can benefit patients, how it's not benefiting patients, and make sure that the patient's voice and concerns and needs and access to care are front and center in debate and reform discussions.”

What they're saying: “As a scientist back at Genentech, bringing a single drug to market required so much testing, rigorous data, peer review, and evidence,” said CA Assemblywoman Darshana Patel. “I would love to see that kind of rigor applied to policymaking.”

Read more on Bio.News.

What the media’s talking about at BIO 2026

Last week’s convention welcomed more than 200 journalists from around the world – here are just five pieces to read coming out of the week.

San Diego is America’s third-largest biotech hub –NBC 7 took a look at the BIO International Convention and how San Diego is a critical hub for innovation.

Biotech sees “strong signs of stabilization at the FDA,” BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley said Monday in an interview with Bloomberg Law. Following changes at the agency and concerns about a “series of drug rejections” last year, Crowley pointed to recent positive developments. "The U.S. FDA needs ​to continue to be the gold standard in the world,"he told Reuters.

“There is genuine forward momentum,backed by data: deal value is up, the capital markets are functioning again and the science is delivering,” reports Citeline's In Vivo. “But the pressures are real and converging: the patent cliff demands inorganic action at speed; China is competing for deals and talent with a seriousness that was unimaginable five years ago; and AI’s transformation of drug development is creating new winners and losers before anyone has fully mapped the terrain.”

“If cell and gene therapy makers are going to achieve their mission to improve patients’ lives, the industry must come together to share information across stakeholders, from regulators to manufacturers to payers,” writes BioSpace’s Jef Akst, who led a Thursday panel about the topic.

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