Good Day BIO: Biden's new food strategy

The Biden administration released a food strategy ahead of today’s White House food security conference—we have details and how biotech can help. Plus, how governments are tackling non-communicable diseases and promising news from an Eisai and Biogen Alzheimer’s trial. (635 words, 3 minutes, 10 seconds)

Biden releases food strategy ahead of today’s White House food summit

President Biden calls for research into bolstering the food supply in the face of climate challenges in his National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released yesterday, ahead of today’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

The strategy calls for addressing food security and diet-related diseases through five pillars: improving food access and affordability; integrating nutrition and health; ensuring access to healthy choices; supporting physical activity; and enhancing nutrition and food security research.

In the area of research, the strategy envisions funding and action from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for research on climate change and food supply, as well as studying the link between soil and human health.

Today’s White House conference acknowledges threats to food supply from climate and the Ukraine war, with high-profile panelists and speakers like New York Mayor Eric Adams. Register here to watch the conference online.

Why it matters: In the 11th Global Food Security Index, released last week by Economist Impact, the U.S. slipped to 13th place (from 9th in the previous edition) based on measures like accessibility, affordability, availability, quality and safety, and sustainability. Meanwhile, CDC’s study released yesterday shows the number of states with high rates of adult obesity more than doubled.

Biotech can help—with solutions like next-generation fertilizers and drought-resistant and resilient food crops. But we need government cooperation in the form of good policy, as BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath has explained.

NCDs cause three-quarters of deaths globally

During the UN General Assembly last week, world leaders joined the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss how to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which cause nearly three-quarters of deaths globally, according to a new report.

The four major NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, which have social, environmental, commercial, and genetic causes, says WHO’s report released last week.

By the numbers: “Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of them live in low- and middle-income countries,” says the report.

But: “There are cost-effective and globally applicable NCD interventions that every country, no matter its income level, can and should be using and benefitting from—saving lives and saving money,” said WHO Director-Genera Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Things like improving nutrition, encouraging exercise, and reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption.)

Biotech is tackling cancer—for example, there are more than 90,000 recent or ongoing cancer trials worldwide, and scientific advances have dramatically increased cancer survival rates, according to another recent report.

Biotech’s also responding to cardiovascular disease—including stroke and America’s #1 killer, heart attack—with research and efforts to improve policy.

The context: The first U.S.-WHO Strategic Dialogue yesterday brought together officials to discuss the response to NCDs and communicable diseases (like monkeypox, Ebola, and polio). The parties discussed new instruments for pandemic preparedness and agreed to closer technical collaboration.

More Health Care News:

Reuters: Eisai, Biogen say Alzheimer’s drug succeeds in slowing cognitive decline
“The drug, lecanemab, slowed progress of the brain-wasting disease by 27% compared with a placebo, meeting the study's main goal, and potentially offering hope for patients and their families desperate for an effective treatment. … Eisai said results from the 1,800-patient trial prove the longstanding theory that removal of sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brains of people with early Alzheimer's can delay advance of the debilitating disease.”

President Biden’s Wednesday: Addressing the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Later, joining the Democratic Governors Association reception.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The House meets this afternoon to vote on 32 bills under consideration, including continued funding for the SBIR/STTR programs, which was already approved by the Senate. The Senate will continue discussions on the Continuing Resolution, which is impacting other legislation, like PDUFA, which may be funded with a stipulation of continued negotiation on details.