Good Day BIO: News on TRIPS and the WTO ministerial

BIO recently went to Geneva to discuss vaccine equity—we have a readout and what to expect from the upcoming WTO ministerial. Plus, everyone’s talking about carbon, so we examine the latest technologies to capture, store, and recycle it. (819 words, 4 minutes, 5 seconds)

The latest news on TRIPS and the upcoming WTO ministerial

The proposed “TRIPS waiver” is expected to be a hot topic at the WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (a.k.a. MC12). Here’s where things stand and what BIO’s been doing to find solutions. 

What we know: The co-sponsors of the proposed TRIPS waiver recently said “this initiative should be an integral part of any successful MC12 outcome.” India is reportedly engaging with delegations to “allay their concerns,” while U.S. Trade Rep. Ambassador Katherine Tai reiterated support for a waiver.

We’ll say it again: Waiving IP protections would compromise global vaccination efforts, BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath wrote in STAT News. 

“Global IP did not block but has enabled the rapid scale-up of COVID vaccine production for the globe,” explained Steve Bates, CEO of the UK Bioindustry Association and Chair of the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA). “IP rules underpinned the early transfer of the Oxford AstraZeneca scale-up to the Serum Institute of India, which has produced the most global doses of any vaccine so far.” 

Even a temporary waiver sets a dangerous precedent: “For innovative biotech companies, who don’t have established products, IP is our lifeblood," he continued. “Without IP, the innovation ecosystem from which the crucial COVID products have emerged would be decimated—and future pandemics would not have the innovative well from which to draw the solutions needed.” 

Ahead of MC12, BIO and ICBA went to Geneva to discuss solutions, meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and World Health Organization (WHO) leadership, and Ambassadors and representatives from around the world.

“The power of working together was on display in Geneva,” said Dr. Michelle. “Our meetings with the WHO, WTO, and country representatives made a major impact because BIO and our global sister associations presented a united front advocating for a strong innovation ecosystem.”

Vaccines are available. Manufacturers have forged 300+ partnerships to scale up production and distribution, as well as voluntarily licensing technology to low- and middle-income countries—and billions more doses are coming.

But we have to share them—BIO’s SHARE proposal explains how.

More reading: Experts including former Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke published a new paper explaining the importance of U.S. vaccine diplomacy and protecting intellectual property—read on the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) website.

More Health Care News:

CNBC: Vir Biotech says its treatment ‘stands up well’ to all variants
“It certainly is an effective antibody against COVID, but also against SARS, also against many other coronaviruses,” said Vir CEO George Scangos.

POLITICO: FDA said to be ready to endorse Pfizer and Moderna boosters at once
“The FDA is now expected to finalize authorization for both vaccines on Friday morning, ahead of an afternoon meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory panel.” 

Repurposing carbon shows promise in combating climate change

One word has been at the heart of the debate over how to confront climate change: carbon. Capturing carbon and repurposing it can help, we explain in a new exclusive story.

What’s carbon capture? It’s the process of removing carbon dioxide from entities such as manufacturing and production facilities as well as directly from the atmosphere.

After capture, it needs to be stored. Underground storage has often made the most sense—but now, adding it to concrete is proving effective, too. As concrete churns, carbon converts to calcium carbonate and strengthens the concrete (though concrete’s stability is unpredictable as it ages). 

What about using carbon in manufacturing? That’s exactly what the biotechnology industry is doing, we explain. 

LanzaTech is capturing and recycling carbon and turning it into a variety of products—from sustainable aviation fuel to fragrances and fabrics for athletic apparel. 

Newlight Technologies’ Covalent brand is also making breakthroughs in the world of high-end fashion,by using microorganisms in the ocean to convert air and carbon into a moldable biomaterial product called AirCarbon®. The product can be used to manufacture wallets, purses, phone cases, and sunglasses. 

Fuel and chemical company Virent is making renewably sourced hydrocarbon out of feedstocks and biomass. Its patented BioForming® technology uses catalytic chemistry to convert plant-based sugars into a wide array of hydrocarbon products. 

How BIO’s helping: “BIO is leading the charge on Capitol Hill in supporting policies that incentivize the capture, sequestration and creation of carbon-neutral products to build a greener economy,” BIO Communications Director Connor McKoy told Good Day BIO. 

Read the whole thing to learn more about the latest carbon capture and recycling technologies.

President Biden’s Friday: Pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkeys before heading home to Delaware. (The turkeys, Peanut Butter and Jelly, are currently living it up at the stately Willard Hotel.) 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: “Biden’s social and climate plan is set for a House vote after a CBO analysis said it would slightly boost the deficit,” says CNBC.