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HEALTH & SCIENCEFederal role in vaccine production debatedA think tank ponders what it would take to have an adequate supply of both existing and new vaccines on hand to forestall a bioterrorist attack.By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. July 29, 2002. Washington -- There are specific public policy changes that could supply the incentives needed to encourage manufacturers to boost vaccine production and develop the new pharmaceuticals that would be required in the event of a bioterrorist attack. For instance, Christine Grant, vice president for vaccine developer Aventis Pasteur, urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reconsider a decision made this year to reduce reimbursements to physicians for administering vaccines. CMS implemented the reductions despite the widely held belief that vaccines are cost-effective and already yield less revenue than the most popular cholesterol-lowering statin, said Grant. Her comments were part of a recent panel discussion, "Vaccine Development and Biodefense: How Does Public Policy Affect Research and Development?" The session was hosted by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank, American Enterprise Institute. Meanwhile, there is interest among some within Congress to take on these challenges. A bill introduced by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D, Conn.), for example, would provide a number of incentives such as tax credits and patent and liability protections, said Chuck Ludlam, counsel in Lieberman's office. He also participated in the AEI discussion. The incentives would spur production of the diagnostics, drugs and vaccines necessary to combat a bioterrorist attack, Ludlam said. Vaccine developers are in the spotlight these days. Widely publicized shortages of vaccines put them at center stage, and the threat of a bioterrorist attack with anthrax, smallpox or any of a number of lethal diseases keeps them there. [...] Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2002 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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