Government
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has forwarded correspondence to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking clarity regarding reported shortages of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Warren maintains the drugs, which are generally used to treat lupus,... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced two new corporate partnerships last week, with the Luminex Corporation and GenMark, Dx, respectively, to get more COVID-19 diagnostic tests to market.
Both are rapid diagnostic tests. The Luminex test draws from nasal... Read More »
The federal government has seized hundreds of thousands of personal protective equipment (PPE) from price gougers with the intent of redistributing them to frontline workers working amid the COVID-19 crisis in New York and New Jersey.
The items -- which included around 192,000 N95 respirator... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions is working with the U.S. government to develop a therapy for patients diagnosed with coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
The partnership is through a $14.5 million grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a COVID-Human Immune... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is urging the Trump Administration to address the nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and emergency responders.
In his home state, Peters cited the travails of the Detroit Police Department, which has had to quarantine... Read More »
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) received its share of personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile in full this week, granting an equipment influx of hundreds of thousands to meet the threat of COVID-19.
Ohio was among early requesters for additional equipment and its... Read More »
SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc. is now among those companies rushing to produce a COVID-19 treatment, and both the Department of Defense (DoD) and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) have partnered with it to make it happen.
SAb’s product is called SAB-185 and pushes for... Read More »
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of the Health and Human Services (HHS) officials to provide plans addressing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
McCaul recently sought feedback from FDA Commissioner Stephan Hahn and HHS Secretary Alex Azar on... Read More »
Leadership at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) commended the $2.2 trillion relief bill signed by President Trump last week, stating more relief is still needed for firefighters and emergency workers.
IAFC President, Fire Chief Gary Ludwig, said the CARES Act is a significant... Read More »
Doctors and researchers maintain a new free app is helping to track the onset and progression of COVID-19 symptoms nationwide while identifying those at risk sooner and slowing the outbreak.
Officials said the COVID Symptom Tracker requests contributors answer a few simple questions about... Read More »
The Army Contracting Command – Warren has awarded a $346.4 million contract to Oshkosh Defense to modernize vehicles in the Army and Army Reserve’s Heavy Tactical Vehicle (FHTV) fleets.
The scope of work involves the firm recapitalizing Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and... Read More »
Federal lawmakers in Maryland commended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its move to return the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick to full operational capacity.
The USAMRIID will now resume conducting its full scope of... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently pushed for increased funding for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (PHEP) and Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP).
Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) led 24 of their colleagues in forwarding correspondence to the Senate’s Subcommittee... Read More »
Raytheon Company, an electronics mission systems integration firm, recently secured a $2.1 billion, multi-year contract with the Missile Defense Agency to produce and deliver SM-3 Block IB interceptors.
"This procurement deal is a win-win for government and industry," Mitch Stevison, Raytheon... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is speeding up timelines for clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidates produced by Janssen Research & Development and Moderna.
“Vaccines are essential to saving lives,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said. “Delivering a... Read More »
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is encouraging expanded regional and multilateral health organizations’ support as the global confrontation of the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of State... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to expedite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance regarding allowing distilleries to continue manufacturing hand sanitizer in the wake of shortages created by COVID-19.
Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and John Yarmuth (D-KY) have led the initiative,... Read More »
The Strategic National Stockpile grew by 31 million doses of various medications this weekend, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took on donations that may, eventually, aid clinical trials or be used to treat those hospitalized with COVID-19.
To be clear, none of those... Read More »
Johnson & Johnson wants to begin human testing of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate by September as part of a $1 billion joint investment between the company and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The end goal is to create a billion vaccines for emergency pandemic use to be... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Ted Yoho (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) introduced a bill to ensure the United States builds its stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The American-Made Protection for Healthcare Workers and First Responders Act will address the PPE shortage and build the national... Read More »
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) hosted a virtual summit last week to foster collaboration among government agencies and biopharmaceutical innovators to eradicate coronavirus (COVID-19).
The two-day virtual event allowed companies working on treatments and vaccines to come... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline one year to Oct.1, 2021, in the wake of COVID-19.
The extension is in accordance with directives from President Donald Trump, and DHS will publish a notice of the new deadline in the... Read More »
The world is at war, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the G20 Leaders Summit this week, and every country needs to unite to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You have come together to confront the defining health crisis of our time: We are at war... Read More »
In a system severely taxed by the COVID-19 pandemic, hoarding of health and medical supplies has become a serious concern, and a new Executive Order, to be enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is now in effect to tackle that concern.
“Today, we designated a set... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is conducting research to better understand the COVID-19 coronavirus and prevent its spread.
Currently, there is only limited information available about the virus. Researchers at the National Biodefense Analysis... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced a bill Wednesday to address the shortage of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies.
The Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act would require the president to use the authority invoked under the Defense Production Act to produce... Read More »
BAE Systems has secured a $339 million contract modification from the Army to address long-term readiness and modernization needs of the M109 self-propelled howitzer program.
The scope of work would include the production of 48 vehicle sets of M109A7 Self-propelled Howitzer (SPH) and its... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided instructions to manufacturers importing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other devices to increase supplies to support the COVID-19 response.
The instructions clarify the types of PPE that can be imported without engaging with the... Read More »
Professional services and technologies firm KBR has secured a $26.8 million task order to provide additional Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) cybersecurity engineering support.
The agreement aids the AFLCMC’s Engineering Directorate Cyber Systems Engineering Division in... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers said they are seeking bolstered legislative support for first responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) joined Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Peter King (R-NY), Mike Bost (R-IL), and over 100 of their... Read More »
The U.S. government has reached collaboration agreements with three more companies in the ongoing effort to create rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests and fill the divide between demand and supply.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is involved in all three cases. It... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced this week that $100 million would be given to U.S. healthcare systems to help handle a continuing surge in COVID-19 patients at nationwide hospitals.
The $100... Read More »
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has formed partnerships with the manufacturing and biotech industries to increase the state's supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to battle the coronavirus.
The partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is seeking more information from Trump administration officials on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical medical equipment and supplies available in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The Federal Emergency Management... Read More »
Heads of various medical and infectious disease associations called on President Donald Trump to swiftly invoke the Defense Production Act and use it to force private industry to meet the current demands for medical supply and equipment production.
As one, the presidents and chairs of the... Read More »
