How biopharma dealt with COVID: ‘We science-ed the crap out of it!’
BioPress International
COVID-19 showed biopharma at its best and worst says a former regulator, who argues that the scrutiny which came with the pandemic highlighted some key industry challenges.
The pandemic put biopharma in the spotlight according to Jeff Baker, former deputy director of the Office of Biotechnology Products in CDER, who told delegates at the BPI East hybrid conference last month the crisis highlighted industry’s strengths and weaknesses.
“There will be a lot of books written about the COVID-19 crisis and response and a lot of them will be very critical. And I hope they are, because that’s how we learn, and we get better ready next time.
Image: Stock Photo Secrets
“But I hope there are a few written about the almost organic uprising of the biotech community to address this global challenge. And I have never seen more transparency, more cooperation, more collegial participation, and common cause than I saw among the scientists and engineers and project managers of the biotech community in rising to this global challenge.”
Baker added industry’s ability to develop several COVID-19 vaccines in a year was a major validation of the sector. “We science-ed
