Countermeasures
Deltares USA and Deltares have secured $950,000 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) funds to develop a flood hazard modeling process.
The endeavor, which officials said would utilize open source data, models, and software, is in accordance with the... Read More »
In response to reports that rising COVID-19 cases in July strained lab capacity and caused a decline in daily tests, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tina Smith (D-MN) wrote letters to several COVID-19 testing labs requesting information on the processing capacity for each.
June and July... Read More »
Seeking greater investigations into how and where viruses and other pathogens can crossover from wildlife to people, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) officially created the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) this week through an initial 11... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) are urging the Food and Drug Administration to make sure that rigorous safety and efficacy data support the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Full licensure of a vaccine is preferable to an Emergency Use... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) introduced legislation to strengthen the ability of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to address cyberthreats on Federal government systems.
The bill, called the Protecting Federal Networks Act, gives CISA the authority to address threats and... Read More »
Two Democratic legislators forwarded correspondence Tuesday to Attorney General William Barr and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seeking insight regarding the recent seizure of cryptocurrency raised by designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) Emanuel... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has gained explosives trace detection technology via the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).
The Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry Explosive Trace Detector or Next-Gen Mass Spec ETD was developed in... Read More »
Abbott gained emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week for a COVID-19 antigen test known as BinaxNOW, which proposes to test patients for $5, with a 15-minute turnaround on results.
Quick, portable, and affordable, Abbott intends for its tool to be... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is searching for new ways to deliver vaccines, and to do so, it has found four partners in research: Esperovax, Inc., the University of Connecticut, Vaxess Technologie, and Verndari, Inc.
The two options being investigated... Read More »
AbbVie is teaming up with Harvard University on a $30 million research alliance to study and develop novel therapies against emergent viral infections.
The focus of the research, which will take place at Harvard Medical School (HMS), is on viral infections caused by coronaviruses and other... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates with General Gustave Perna, chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments,
Durbin... Read More »
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials said spending cuts and increased incoming revenue and receipts has resulted in averting an administrative furlough of more than 13,000 employees.
“Our workforce is the backbone of every USCIS accomplishment. Their resilience and... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) said lack of planning, personnel, and equipment has led to extreme California wildfire damage and has invited federal officials to the state to aid with solutions.
LaMalfa said he has extended an invitation to Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Agriculture... Read More »
Changes to the requirements for emergency use authorization (EUA) of convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised new barriers for hospitals, and a new line of questions from U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Fred Upton (R-MI).
In a... Read More »
A phase 1 clinical trial for AZD7442, a combination monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 licensed by AstraZeneca, began this week for 48 healthy participants in the United Kingdom.
Throughout the study, researchers will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic released the results from its Phase 3 study of the freeze-dried formulation of its MVA-BN smallpox vaccine.
The FDA approved the liquid-frozen formulation of the vaccine in September 2019 under the name JYNNEOS. The prior Phase 2 study has shown bioequivalence between the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner to ensure that sound science and the protection of public health alone drive FDA’s COVID-19 vaccine approval process.
“Any political... Read More »
Cleveland, Ohio-based University Hospitals will serve as one of 120 global clinical investigational sites to test Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.
The clinical trial would be initiated at UH Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Robert Salata, chairman of the Department of Medicine at UH... Read More »
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials said the agency’s fifth generation (5G) technology strategy seeks to advance the development and deployment of a secure and resilient infrastructure.
“The promise of 5G is undeniable, but with 5G technology posed to underpin a... Read More »
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the global COVAX initiative can now count 172 national economies and nine potential COVID-19 vaccines under its banner, seven of which have entered clinical trials.
The goal of the COVAX facility is to bring the... Read More »
Thanks to the efforts of nearly 40 companies and universities in the state of Maryland, millions of dollars have been dedicated to the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and tests for COVID-19, Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week.
Those efforts include millions in funding... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking more information on Saudi Arabia’s reported efforts to build “secret nuclear facilities.”
The senators say this development threatens to undermine the international nonproliferation regime and U.S.... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense announced four actions through the Defense Production Act to sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities in molecular diagnostic testing, satellite communications, laser electronics, and aircraft engine repair.
These actions are... Read More »
Northrop Grumman Corporation officials said an Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) flight test resulted in the Army intercepting a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) and a cruise missile target.
“These two back-to-back successful test events are a testament to the commitment and partnership... Read More »
Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) officials maintain Election Day preparations and coordination between the federal government and state and local election officials have progressed accordingly.
“The election community is more unified, more coordinated, and better... Read More »
Despite its far-reaching effects, there remains no standardized reporting of COVID-19-related data within the United States, a fact that prompted the introduction of the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020 to the House last week.
The legislation was introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 among hospitalized patients this week, determining that its known and potential benefits outweigh any risks.
Convalescent plasma is made using the blood of... Read More »
The Miami International Airport installed seven computed tomography (CT) scanners at six Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
With these changes, passengers traveling through a lane with a CT scanner will be permitted to leave laptops and other electronic devices in their... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Greg Walden (R-OR) finalized a report that provides recommendations for addressing a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The third and final installment of their report – called “Second Wave Preparedness Project” -- focuses on... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week the cancellation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements on premarket reviews for lab-developed tests linked to COVID-19.
Pitching the change as one targeting unnecessary policies and increasing flexibility in... Read More »
Every county in the United States was scoured for COVID-19 hotspots in a recent study released by University of Utah geographers, providing localized data to track infection clusters and inform local public health policies.
Through space-time statistics, the researchers determined geographic... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) is among 60 Members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to develop a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that prioritizes health equity.
The lawmakers are urging Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary, to take a strategic, public... Read More »
Roche Pharmaceuticals is teaming up with Regeneron to develop and distribute Regeneron’s COVID-19 investigational antiviral antibody combination.
The treatment, known as REGN-COV2, is being developed as a treatment option for people already experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. It also has the... Read More »
Government and technology professional services and solutions provider KBR said the firm has agreed to acquire the technology firm Centauri.
The acquisition via Arlington Capital Partners is for approximately $800 million in cash net of tax benefits.
"KBR has undergone a deliberate, strategic... Read More »
A group of lawmakers forwarded correspondence this week to congressional leaders, encouraging cybersecurity funding support in the next COVID-19 aid package.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined eight Senate colleagues detailing how cybercriminals have launched campaigns against healthcare... Read More »
