Countermeasures
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is part of an effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.
CEPI helped launch the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), part of the ACT Accelerator, which was established to ensure that the... Read More »
The 2020 Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert Award has been bestowed upon the Wisconsin National Guard’s 54th Civil Support Team (CST) in recognition of excellence in mission readiness.
The specialized unit of full-time Army and Air National Guard members are trained to respond to chemical,... Read More »
FirstNet, the broadband platform for public safety, has launched a pair of Vermont purpose-built cell sites in North Bennington and West Bridgewater.
“We worked hand-in-hand with Vermont’s public safety community to understand their needs for the network,” FirstNet Authority CEO Edward... Read More »
With the introduction of the Background Check Completion Act last week, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and more than 20 of his colleagues took a stand against a legal loophole that has allowed gun sales to move forward if a background check is not finished in 72 hours.
“No check, no sale... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced legislation last week designed to strengthen and improve artificial intelligence (AI) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The Artificial Intelligence and National Security Act proposes to strengthen the department’s AI... Read More »
Scientists did not anticipate the initial threat of SARS-CoV-2, but what if they could have.
In a commentary released this month by Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, society could be prepared for the next pandemic through a medical... Read More »
In accordance with the CARES Act containing a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts, six recommendations have been issued.
The GAO indicated its recent analysis examined key actions the federal government has... Read More »
Lawmakers have introduced a measure creating a National Cyber Director position within the White House, who would serve as the president’s principal advisor on cybersecurity issues.
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Cyberspace Solarium commissioner, joined five colleagues in presenting the National... Read More »
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health declared this week that an Ebola outbreak which has ravaged the eastern portion of the country since 2018 has finally reached its end.
The news was hailed by global and U.S. health officials, still themselves battling the worldwide... Read More »
A new platform, SolaVAX, aims to help inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus -- the virus which causes COVID-19 -- in patients, and its progress will be a joint project of its creators at Colorado State University and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
SolaVAX was... Read More »
Pharma company Moderna will collaborate with Catalent – a company that develops technologies and manufacturing solutions for drugs and consumer health products – on Moderna’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Catalent will provide vial filling and packaging capacity, as well as... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, signed an agreement with Stevanato Group to supply glass vials to hold vaccine for the COVID-19 virus once it is developed.
Stevanato, based in Italy, will supply 100 million Type 1 Borosilicate glass vials to hold up to 2 billion... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT) announced his support for a bill that would prevent the Trump Administration from restarting explosive nuclear weapons testing.
The Preserving Leadership Against Nuclear Explosives Testing (PLANET) Act (H.R. 7140) was introduced earlier this month by Reps. Dina... Read More »
The U.S. Senate’s 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes $1.033 billion in funding to upgrade 89 Abrams tanks, announced U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).
The tank upgrades will be done at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima, Ohio. The bill also includes $847... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has published new guidance designed to aid in managing new global security risks while safeguarding all modes of transportation.
Administrator’s Intent 2.0 targets tangible security threats across seven broad categories: insider risk, surface... Read More »
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently awarded a $59 million contract to Alion Science and Technology to implement weapons systems research and development.
The scope of work would aid the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) Red Cell, information operations cell, and electromagnetic... Read More »
An existing partnership between vaccine company Sanofi Pasteur and clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company Translate Bio expanded this week to include development of mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases.
The companies originally began collaborating in 2018. Now, their union will focus on... Read More »
The Trump administration will end federal support for 13 community-based COVID-19 testing sites by the end of the month, as the White House looks to other means of financial support for ongoing efforts.
This will particularly impact Texas, which has seen an explosion of cases in recent days,... Read More »
A group of U.S. senators recently introduced legislation designed to modernize the production of medical supplies for frontline healthcare providers and ensure the utilization of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to respond to emergencies.
The Public Health Emergency (PHE) Production Act –... Read More »
Clover Biopharmaceuticals began phase 1 clinical trials in Perth, Australia, on its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
CEPI has provided up to $3.5 million for Clover to support the preparation and initiation of a trial... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Israel Ministry of Public Security (MOPS) officials are touting the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation collaboration.
The BIRD Foundation is soliciting collaborative project proposals... Read More »
Rep. John Katko (R-NY) is espousing the benefits of the recent introduction of Senate legislation serving as a companion measure to his bill to bolster cybersecurity protections.
Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have introduced the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee... Read More »
Both INOVIO’s CELLECTRA 3PSP smart device and CELLECTRA 2000 devices will benefit from a $71 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), in the hopes of scaling up DNA delivery devices for the company’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, INO-4800.
Both devices deliver INO-4800... Read More »
A public-private partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and MBio Diagnostics aims to create a COVID-19 serology test capable of providing results within five minutes.
The test is a point-of-care diagnostic that tests for human anti-SARS-CoV-2... Read More »
The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which is tasked with supplementing state and local supplies of antibiotics, vaccines and other critical drugs and medical products, woefully needs a revamp to help the nation better prepare and respond to public health emergencies like the current COVID-19... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking proposals from innovators on new technologies for first responders.
Industry, academia, laboratories, and others are invited to submit proposals related to four technology categories. One is Integrated... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are seeking answers from Trump Administration officials on how the federal government is overseeing suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing supplies, and other medical supplies.
The lawmakers cited recent reports... Read More »
Lawmakers recently gathered to address toxic exposure related to military service and a bill regarding how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) led the bipartisan roundtable discussion hosted by Chairman of... Read More »
Two representatives said the inclusion of much of their Military Family Readiness Act into the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act will bolster military family support.
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), ranking... Read More »
Reckoning with the possibility of bad actors taking advantage of a crisis, House members introduced two bills this week to protect patients from price-gouging on taxpayer funded COVID-19 drugs, avoid monopolies, and strengthen oversight of federally invested research and development funds.
The... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories recently announced that it was working with medical device manufacturers to test mask materials and with local hospitals to evaluate N95 mask cleaning methods to boost the availability of masks in the beleaguered United States healthcare system.
This assistance is... Read More »
A panel of public health experts called on Congress to focus on creating a mechanism that would help create vaccines for future pandemics, even as the world is working to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
“This pandemic is a harbinger of things to come,” Julie Gerberding, former... Read More »
The Department of Defense (DoD) said five Defense Production Act Title III actions funded with $187 million would sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and the defense-critical workforce.
“These actions will help to retain critical workforce capabilities... Read More »
Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Chris Coons (D-DE) joined 13 colleagues last week to introduce legislation designed to prevent foreign governments from stealing research and intellectual property domestically developed at colleges and universities.
The Safeguarding American Innovation Act gives... Read More »
In an effort to reduce shortages and the reliance on foreign medical supply chains, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Department of Defense (DoD) have teamed up with Corning, Inc. to produce more glass tubing and vials quicker.
In particular, the federal... Read More »
