Zika Virus Outbreak: Research Funding, Commercial Test, U.S. Risk Map

In the ongoing outbreak of Zika virus infection across parts of North and South America, there are several developments which signal increasing concern over the exact impact and geographic reach of the virus (the first death in the U.S. linked to the virus has been reported). At least 55 countries report Zika outbreaks, according to the World Health Organization. The virus is spread by mosquitos, specifically the Aedes aegypti. In the U.S., 426 cases of Zika-infected individuals have been reported. Although a course of infection may be mild and easily resolved in most individuals, Zika has become a high-profile infectious disease because viral infection in pregnant women has been linked to an increased risk of microcephaly in offspring. There are suspicions that more developmental risks to the child of an infected mother may exist, possibly unknown and only seen as development unfolds. In general, the mosquito thrives in warm and tropical climates, but seasonal weather patterns can shift the field of exposure. NASA scientists and other colleagues have published an Aedes aegypti risk map of the U.S., showing that a wide swath of the eastern U.S. is potentially susceptible to mosquito (and thus virus) spread, especially in the upcoming summer of 2016; the potential spread goes north as far as New York City. A commercially available test for detection of the Zika virus received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA (the Quest Diagnostics Zika RT-PCR test). A current legislative battle over possible increased funding for public health responses to Zika reached a stalemate before Congress adjourned. One bill calls for $1.6 billion in supplemental funding for dedicated Zika virus research and public health capabilities, but is encountering Republican opposition. Some of the political infighting over a federal response to the Zika outbreak recalls earlier conflicts during the Ebola virus crisis. However, the Zika virus is already in the U.S., cases are officially documented, and the upcoming summer portends more infections, not less. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil this summer have already caused concern among attending athletes; the current understanding of transmission suggests that Zika virus cases in the U.S. are largely explained by travel to countries with high risk of infection; that fact will also impact the Olympics participation. No effective treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus is yet developed; increased NIH funding would certainly allow research to expand. Another target for intervention is to reduce the Aedes aegypti mosquito population; already, a British biotechnology has produced a genetically engineered (GE) mosquito that is reproductively crippled and is hoping to conduct trials in the U.S. An upcoming post will examine that option in more detail.

Major Overhaul of Federal Biotechnology Regulation is Underway; National Academy of Sciences Invites Public Participation

The federal regulation of biotechnology products is grounded in a design that was first announced in 1986 as the Coordinated Framework (CF) for the Regulation of Biotechnology, later updated in 1992. Those documents have largely shaped the the federal regulatory regime for biotechnology. A key concept in this original framework was that products produced through genetic engineering (or recombinant DNA) techniques would not receive special oversight because of the processes used to produce them. Instead, a risk-based approach was instituted that focused on the characteristics of actual products, not underlying production techniques. In 2015, the White House, through its Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), announced that it would launch an overhaul of the 1992 policy. In the memorandum, the OSTP provided a definition of “biotechnology products” to be included in the review: 

For the purpose of this memo, “biotechnology products” refers to products developed through genetic engineering or the targeted or in vitro manipulation of genetic information of organisms, including plants, animals, and microbes. It also covers some of the products produced by such plants, animals, and microbes or their derived products as determined by existing statutes and regulations. Products such as human drugs and medical devices are not the focus of the activities described in this memorandum. 

Since the 1980’s, the existing coordinated framework has divided the primary regulation of biotechnology products among three agencies: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The OSTP is involved in a more general role as overseer of the regulatory design, rather than as a formal regulatory body. In the memorandum sent to the heads of the EPA, FDA and USDA, the OSTP alludes to the regulatory overlap, redundancy and confusion that has arisen with the multi-agency design: 

Each of the Federal regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the products of biotechnology has developed regulations and guidance documents to implement its authority under existing laws, resulting in a complex system for assessing and managing health and environmental risks of the products of biotechnology. While the current regulatory system for the products of  biotechnology effectively protects health and the environment, in some cases unnecessary costs and burdens associated with uncertainty about agency jurisdiction, lack of predictability of time frames for review, and other processes have arisen.

As part of the modernization initiative, the Administration held 3 meetings organized by the relevant agencies to receive feedback on the proposed overhaul. Two documents were issued that are helpful to understanding the current climate that is precipitating calls for redesign: a table of current agency responsibilities, and a series of case studies illustrating how a singular GE product can be subject to multi-agency review. Pursuant to the OSTP charge, a committee formed by the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering was commissioned to conduct a formal study, “Future Biotechnology Products and Opportunities to Enhance Capabilities of the Biotechnology Regulatory System.” This committee has set the following objectives:

Describe the major advances and the potential new types of biotechnology products likely to emerge over the next 5-10 years. 
Describe the existing risk analysis system for biotechnology products including, but perhaps not limited to, risk analyses developed and used by EPA, USDA, and FDA, and describe each agency’s authorities as they pertain to the products of biotechnology. 
Determine whether potential future products could pose different types of risks relative to existing products and organisms. Where appropriate, identify areas in which the risks or lack of risks relating to the products of biotechnology are well understood. 
Indicate what scientific capabilities, tools, and expertise may be useful to the regulatory agencies to support oversight of potential future products of biotechnology. 

The first public meeting of the NAS committee will be held on April 18, 2016. The agenda for the meeting is posted here.