Science Facts & Fallacies

Podcast: ‘Clean’ wine isn’t so clean; FDA blocks hemophilia gene therapy; Universal flu vaccine?
Actress Cameron Diaz and fashion entrepreneur Katherine Power are marketing a new brand of "clean" wine using long-debunked claims about the benefits of organic farming. The FDA has temporarily halted the approval of a gene therapy for hemophilia A, claiming it needs more data to confirm the drug's efficacy. Seasonal flu vaccines offer short-lived immunity, and a new study may help explain why—bringing us a little closer to a "universal" immunization that works year after year. Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP editor Cameron English on this episode of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories: * Viewpoint: Cameron Diaz, Katherine Power promote ‘clean wine’ with organic farming myths Cameron Diaz, Katherine Power Food manufacturers love buzzwords. "Non-GMO," "Certified Organic" and "All Natural" labels adorn thousands of items in US grocery stores, even though such marketing claims don't mean these foods are any safer or more nutritious. Wine hasn't been spared this labeling bonanza, and the latest fad is so-called "clean wine." What is clean wine, exactly? According to organic wine importer Natural Merchants, there is no such thing, legally speaking: Certification of Clean Wine Nope, not a thing. Clean wine has no legal definition, nor does is carry any sort of certification declaring that the wine is indeed “clean.” But that doesn't stop winemakers, including celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power, from marketing their "clean" label when in fact they use all sorts of chemical additives found in normal wines. The pair also claim to use organic (and thus pesticide-free grapes), but even this is no guarantee since many organic vineyards have to use fungicides. Because these chemicals can be rather toxic, some vineyards in recent years have even given up their "organic" certification in order to pursue more sustainable growing methods. * Gene therapy for hemophilia delayed until 2022 after FDA rejects one-time treatment, shocking doctors and scientists Patients suffering from a rare blood clotting-disorder called hemophilia A eagerly expected the FDA to green light a one-time gene therapy for the condition, known as Roctavian, in late August. Clinical trials of Roctavian yielded promising results, but FDA regulators feared the gene therapy wouldn't be the one-and-done treatment everyone anticipated and asked the manufacture for more data before approving the drug. What motivated the FDA's decision, and what does the delay mean for hemophilia A patients? * Why flu vaccines don’t work for very long We need a new flu vaccine every year, in part because the virus mutates regularly and can't be defeated with the same immunization.