The superbug crisis heats up

January 22, 2020
Day 2 of the impeachment trial is taking over Washington – but we're still super concerned about superbugs, and also revisiting Trump's recent comments to farmers and what they mean. Here are 695 words, 3 minutes, 28 seconds.
BIO
Day 2 of the impeachment trial is taking over Washington – but we're still super concerned about superbugs, and also revisiting Trump's recent comments to farmers and what they mean. Here are 695 words, 3 minutes, 28 seconds.


The superbug crisis heats up

With superbugs causing upwards of 35,000 deaths per year, the global antibiotic crisis is intensifying, says the World Health Organization (WHO)—and depending which direction policymakers go, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could either be relieved or exacerbated by policy. 

The problem: “Declining private investment and lack of innovation in the development of new antibiotics are undermining efforts to combat drug-resistant infections,” says WHO.

And compounding it: “Relatively low profits for antibiotics mean the world is ‘precariously reliant’ on just a handful of pharmaceutical companies to keep the supply going or launch new superbug killers,” reports POLITICO in coverage of another new report from the Access to Medicine Foundation.

What they’re saying: “Unfortunately, this drought of new treatments will not end anytime soon, unless policy-makers fix the broken antibiotics market. Right now, drug companies are hesitant to invest in superbug research, since any resulting treatment would only be used in limited, emergency cases. Researchers stand little chance of recouping their costs, much less of earning a profit. Biotech firms and investors like us won't be able to fight superbugs without government assistance,” explains Kasim Kutay, CEO of  Novo Holdings, ahead of a session at Davos on the subject

Policy can offer a solution: For example, the DISARM Act would create a separate reimbursement payment for antibiotics under Medicare, allowing hospitals to fully recoup the cost of newer treatments. 

But policy can also create peril: Drug price controls remain on the table, despite all the evidence they will make us miss out on new cures—a risk we shouldn’t take in the middle of the global superbug crisis.

Frank Being Frank: “Without such incentives, I’m worried these innovative companies developing new medicines will struggle to obtain the resources they need to fully develop them and bring these breakthroughs to patients,” Dr. Greg Frank, BIO’s Director of Infectious Disease Policy and Working to Fight AMR

 
Twitter
 
LinkedIn
 
Facebook
 

Trump's last-ditch pitch to farmers

Last weekend, Trump spoke to American farmers about all the deals he’s been making for them, reports Agri-Pulse—a critical message in the election year, in which support from the agriculture industry could be up for grabs.

The event: He attended the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in Austin, Texas, where he “focused a substantial part of his address on his recently concluded ‘phase one’ agreement with China last week and the revised U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement that received final congressional approval last week,” reports Agri-Pulse

USMCA is fine for ag. The Washington Post called the NAFTA replacement “a mixed bag” for farmers, because while “they can continue selling their products to the United States’ two largest agricultural export markets,” many of the provisions had already been negotiated in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump pulled out of in early 2017—thereby delaying any benefits and inhibiting access to a larger market.  

But the impact of the China deal is TBD. While Trump called it “a bonanza for American farmers,” China’s commitments to purchase more agriculture hinge on demand, Reuters explained. And it’s too early to tell what it means for ag biotech approvals and intellectual property, as we told Agri-Pulse.

And now, for a bit of color: “At one point Trump held up a Wall Street Journal report about a recent poll showing how his support among Midwest farmers was ticking up this month even as the China trade details were coming out,” says Agri-Pulse

Why it matters: Between the trade war, delayed trade deals, and the unprecedented number of biofuel waivers, things actually haven’t been all rosy for the agriculture industry—a sector that’s been one of his “most loyal constituencies,” but might be taking a look at other candidates this time around. There are nine months to go. 

More reading:
POLITICO: Trump touts promises after painful year for farmers

 
Twitter
 
LinkedIn
 
Facebook
 
BIO Beltway Report
GoodDayBIO
 
 

President Trump’s Wednesday: He met with the leaders of Kurdistan and Iraq in Davos before heading back to Washington. Several Cabinet secretaries, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, remain in Davos, while Ivanka Trump participated in the launch of a new initiative to reskill the workforce.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The House is in recess, but the Senate is continuing the impeachment trial. We're keeping an eye on the CNN liveblog.

 
 
Paragraph (normal) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida. Risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus sample link.
 
Twitter
 
LinkedIn
 
Facebook