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While reeling from the current U.S. administration’s vaccine-critical policies and their effect on global access, vaccine industry leaders are mulling over ways to eventually build a future, more sustainable systemRobert Califf, Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, summarized, “We have to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but not exactly the way it was, because some people had significant issues with how it was before”“We have a Star Trek innovation system and a Flintstone delivery system,” said Atul Gawande, Professor of the Practice of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, who stressed that universal primary care would significantly improve health outcomes
Sweden launched an investigation to completely overhaul its pharmaceutical pricing system in the face of growing geopolitical pressure, including the growing threat of Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing policyIn one of the first formal ex-U.S. governmental responses to MFN, the inquiry will consider solutions for establishing a single, “coherent” organization to address future healthcare needs and the introduction of new pharmaceutical products. The investigation will also consider options for introducing risk and cost-sharing models between the state and the regions, as well as options for a state-governed organization tasked with handling negotiations with manufacturers regarding confidential prices for their productsHowever, the inquiry is not expected to conclude until the end of 2027 and any reform would likely be implemented after 2028
At the World Vaccine Congress, industry leaders discussed the challenges that complicate building an international ecosystem to support biosecurityPartners must be arranged across the full product life cycle in advance of an outbreak for the chain to run smoothly, but some governments are less connected, and companies are not always driven or able to hold marketing dossiers for less profitable productsPanelists called for preemptive partnership development and continuous investment in innovation, even in peacetime
At the World Vaccine Congress, experts and insiders explained the controversial changes to the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) under the current U.S. administrationU.S. President Donald Trump’s administration replaced the entire committee, which then downgraded recommendations for various vaccines. However, a federal judge has stayed the new members and their decisions Currently, confusion and coverage gray zones are pervading the vaccine space in the U.S. Bob Hopkins, Medical Director, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) said, “This committee had a preconceived agenda that is not being translated transparently to the public and scientific community”
At the World Vaccine Congress, industry and government leaders reflected on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed ways to build a more effective, sustainable response system for future pandemicsKey themes were futureproofing during peacetime, rebuilding trust with the public, and scalable, international manufacturing effortsNicole Lurie, Executive Director for Preparedness and Response, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), highlighted her organization’s marketplace where a company that needed products or had excess items can confidentially inform CEPI, which played “matchmaker”: “It turns out most of the time there’s plenty of everything, but economic and political constraints prevent access”
At the World Vaccine Congress, a leader from IAVI, a major non-profit R&D organization for vaccines and antibodies for priority infectious diseases affecting LMICs, presented recent developments amid current global funding uncertainty She has observed an overall decline in funding for global health around the world, with the U.S. government retreating, and international defense priorities depleting resourcesHowever, IAVI is making strides with a groundbreaking Lassa fever vaccine candidate, which will be advanced through a regionally-led multinational coalition-based funding model with roots in Nigeria
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to announce another round of tariffs targeting pharmaceutical companiesThe new 100% tariffs will only apply to branded products manufactured by companies who have not already struck Most Favored Nation (MFN) deals with the White House or who have not begun negotiations for such an agreementAccording to a draft order obtained by STAT, several product categories could also be exempt, while companies who agree to onshore manufacturing would have the rate reduced to 20% until 2030
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Eli Lilly’s Foundayo (orforglipron) for adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related medical problemsIt is the first new product cleared under the FDA’s controversial Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program, and will begin shipping to patients on April 6Eligible commercially insured patients may pay $25 per month with the Foundayo savings card, while self-pay pricing starts at $149 per month for the lowest dose and eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries may access the treatment for $50 per month from July 1, 2026
At the World Vaccine Congress, biotech leaders discussed the emergence of Montgomery County, Maryland, as a critical development hub in the U.S., where Boston typically receives the most attention With the Maryland hub’s comprehensive resources, the biotech company Precigen quickly progressed from discovery to full approval in four years, despite the challenges of the global pandemic“We have the right partners at every step of the value chain” in Montgomery, said Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca
At the World Vaccine Congress, Danilo Casimiro, an executive at Sanofi, provided a synopsis of the strategies and recent history of his company’s vaccine portfolio development Sanofi builds its portfolio by fortifying its market presence and growing its competitive advantage, winning in new markets, and pioneering research for treating novel diseasesThe company completed a flurry of business development deals last year and maintains various partnerships with governments around the world. “Partnerships are vital to the lifeline of a company,” said the executive
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