Grain Deal, RSV Treatment, and Florida's Rabbit Invasion

Russia Suspends Grain Deal

Russia announced yesterday it would suspend its participation in a deal allowing Ukraine to safely ship grains through the Black Sea, effectively ending the accord. In justifying the move, Russian officials cited the United Nations' alleged failure to uphold parts of the deal designed to streamline Russian fertilizer and grain exports.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative enabled over 30 million tons of corn, wheat, and other grains (see data) to flow across the globe in the last year, helping reduce the global price of grain by a reported 20%. Ukrainian officials signaled they would continue to move grains through the route, despite Russia's warning it would no longer guarantee safety to vessels in the corridor. 

Separately, a major bridge linking Russia to Crimea—which Russia annexed in 2014—was struck by boat drones, also known as uncrewed surface vessels, overnight Sunday, killing two and shutting down vehicle traffic; a parallel railroad route avoided closure. See war updates here. 

FDA Approves RSV Drug

The Federal Drug Administration yesterday approved the first drug to prevent the respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, in children up to 2 years old. RSV, which causes cold-like symptoms but can lead to acute respiratory infections, is the leading cause of hospitalizations for infants in the US (see overview).

The new drug from AstraZeneca and Sanofi, called nirsevimab and marketed under the brand name Beyfortus, is a monoclonal antibody (clones of real antibodies) meant to be administered through a single shot to infants entering their first RSV season, which lasts from fall to spring and peaks in winter. It may also be administered to children under 2 who are entering their second RSV season. See the difference between an antibody shot and a vaccine here.

The FDA approved the drug after three clinical trials showed it reduced the risk of RSV infection between 70% to 75% among infants and children under 2 years old. The drug has previously been approved in Canada, Europe, and the UK. 

Mallory Beach Settlement

The family of Mallory Beach, killed in a South Carolina boat crash, reached a settlement yesterday in their wrongful death suit against Greg Parker, owner of Parker’s convenience stores. Parker will pay $18M to the survivors of the crash, with $15M of the settlement going to the Beach family.

Beach, then 19, died in February 2019 after a boat driven by an intoxicated Paul Murdaugh crashed into a bridge in Beaufort County, causing Beach to be thrown overboard. Her body was found eight days later, with the cause of death determined to be blunt force trauma and drowning. Parker is accused of illegally selling alcohol to the underage Murdaugh before the crash. The case garnered national attention when Murdaugh, who was facing charges in connection with the crash, was murdered alongside his mother in June 2019. His father, Alex, was ultimately convicted of double homicide.

The news comes after the Beach family settled with the Murdaugh family in a separate case in January. Another civil harassment case against Parker’s is still ongoing.

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