Good Day BIO: The lifeblood of breakthroughs

• Read the BIO Digital Live Blog for highlights, live and in real time all week long.
• Join the conversation at @IAmBiotech and #BIODigital. Tell us what you’re learning and what’s inspiring you and maybe we’ll retweet or share!
• Already registered? Head to the BIO Digital Hubb to plan your day.

What we’re watching today: Nobel Laureate and CRISPR pioneer Dr. Jennifer Doudna kicks off Day 3—catch up on the live blog. Later, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will chat about access and equity for rural families (11:05 AM ET), then NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins will talk COVID progress and lessons (2 PM ET). We’ll close the day with the patient perspective (4 PM ET).

This has been the message all week long from participants around the globe.

The proposed waiver of the WTO’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement is “unfortunate,”said Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. We need “to make sure the sources of creativity continue to be incentivized and rewarded for risk-taking.” 

It would be bad for innovation. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s Lisa Jorgenson called IP “a tool for enabling the environment for innovation and tech transfer,” while Novavax CEO Stanley Erck explained the futility of transferring IP.

And it would be bad for business. “Several rounds of [China’s] volume-based procurement bidding shows that when you lose IP protection in China, the price can go down 90-95% even more,” said Tony Chen of Jones Day and BayHelix. 

What’s really needed is equitable global distribution of vaccines, added Haass, praising the industry’s work on vaccines. 

WTO Director-General Dr. Okonjo-Iweala provided insight on what the WTO’s thinking—saying we need a “pragmatic solution” on IP that allows developing countries access to vaccines while “incentivizing research.” Her view is that the industry “could have stepped up faster with voluntary licensing agreements,” and she called for greater transparency as well as more partnership and conversations with WTO. 

Watch and share: "IP is the lifeblood of breakthroughs" 

Read more: Patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines would be a blow to safety and health innovation

A few more things you might have missed…

Meet BIO's new chair, Paul Hastings, CEO of Nkarta Therapeutics. He introduces himself and his journey in biotech in this inspiring video.

BIO named Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan the 2021 Governor of the Year. “Since 2016, Maryland’s bioscience employment has outpaced national job growth and created nearly 40,000 jobs,” said Gov. Hogan.  

Georgia’s Center for Global Health Innovation (CGHI) was awarded $1.2 million for biotech training. The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will help expand the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE) in five states as a tool to certify an individual’s capabilities and accelerate the development of the bioscience workforce. This award will be led by CGHI’s BioEd Institute; CGHI is led by GABio CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe.

Phyllis Arthur, BIO’s VP of Infectious Disease and Emerging Science, testified on the importance of vaccine access before the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee yesterday. 

Members of Congress are considering several bipartisan bills to support vaccine access, including the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act (H.R.7) and the Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Act of 2021 (H.R. 2347), which would provide life-saving vaccines at no cost. BIO also supports H.R. 2170, the Helping Adults Protect Immunity Act (HAPI).

"The Protecting Seniors and the HAPI Acts will encourage parity by covering vaccines at no cost-sharing just as they are in Medicare Part B and private insurance," says Phyllis Arthur. "Removing this barrier provides direct financial and health benefits, improving access and equity for those adults who will benefit the most from vaccination."

These bills “can dramatically impact access to and uptake of vaccines across people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and disease states,” Arthur said in her testimony.   

A few noteworthy exchanges… 

“The federal government needs to continue investing in research and prioritizing vaccine development, while also making sure that incentives exist for private industry to do the same,”said Ranking Member Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA).

The theme of vaccine access included access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, with significant interest in the Biden administration’s decision to support the TRIPS waiver. Arthur discussed the threat of this decision but also pointed to administration actions that align with BIO’s “COVID Global Strategy for Harnessing Access Reaching Everyone” (SHARE) Program. Watch her exchange with Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) starting around 3:02:44.

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) asked how drug price controls like those in H.R. 3 will impact vaccine innovations in the pipeline. Arthur said she worries such policies disincentivize investment and could make investors back away from biotech. 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was also covered. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said the E&C Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee should investigate the issue. (ICYMI: We covered AMR at BIO Digital, too.) 

The BIO member released its 2020 Sustainability Report outlining bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2030.

Corteva Agriscience is a leading seed and agricultural chemical company, making products that support farmers worldwide. 

By 2030, the company plans to reduce direct emissions (GHG protocol scope 1) and emissions caused by electricity consumption (scope 2) by 65%, and emissions caused by the supply chain (scope 3) by 20%. 

How? By training farmers and improving farm resilience, shifting to more sustainable operations, and improving soil health, water stewardship, and biodiversity, among other things. (Pssst! Biotech can help.)

What they’re saying: “By addressing this global challenge today, we are fortifying our ability to grow food, grow progress and build a sustainable industry that will help humanity thrive for generations to come,” said Corteva CEO Jim Collins, Jr. 

Private initiatives to encourage more sustainable farming are important—but we need policy action, too.The Growing Climate Solutions Act (GSCA) would help farmers participate in carbon markets, reducing emissions of agriculture. 

And GSCA could come up for a vote this week—so tell your lawmakers why they should support it.

More Agriculture and Environment News: 

Reuters: USDA grants biofuel producers $700M in COVID-19 aid
"USDA is honoring its commitment to get financial assistance to producers and critical agricultural businesses, especially those left out or underserved by previous COVID aid," said Secretary Tom Vilsack in the statement.

President Biden’s Wednesday: Today’s the day of the showdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill:  The Senate will resume consideration of Radhika Fox’s nomination as assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), while the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee considers additional EPA nominees. The House is expected to vote on H.R. 2570, which requires SEC-regulated firms to disclose information on climate-related risks and mitigation strategies. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies before the House Education & Labor Committee, while the House Small Business Underserved, Agricultural and Rural Development Subcommittee looks at supporting small businesses through infrastructure and broadband investment.