Countermeasures
The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released a report on Tuesday detailing how a single dose of either of two experimental Zika vaccines protected mice infected with the virus for four to eight weeks after receiving the inoculations.
NIAID said that this... Read More »
Lockheed Martin’s Q-53 counter fire radar last week demonstrated its ability to identify and track unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and pass that information to a command and control node.
Lockheed said that this capability will assist forces in a crowded battle space with emerging air threats.... Read More »
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) presented data on Monday regarding gene sequences and the global variations in malaria parasites.
NIAID researchers determined the genomes of approximately 200 P. vivax strains that recently infected people in... Read More »
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) produced a policy briefing on Monday highlighting preparedness measures to minimize the risk of Zika virus spreading in continental Europe.
The briefing is primarily to protect pregnant women and those who wish to become pregnant,... Read More »
The Greater Rochester International Airport, in a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, expanded its canine explosives detection program on Friday.
A German Shepherd named Lola recently completed a three-month training... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.’s Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) received a task order on Monday valued at up to $21.9 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop and manufacture a Zika vaccine.
Three cGMP lots... Read More »
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet held a hearing on Tuesday to examine the progress of FirstNet, the first nationwide, high-speed network dedicated to public safety.
Chairman of the Subcommittee... Read More »
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) assisted the United States Armed Forces this month in protecting warfighters from exposure to chemical agents that could contaminate the coatings of contemporary combat vehicles.
ECBC researchers who specialize in material decontamination learned... Read More »
The United States Senate voted 58-38 on Wednesday to reject an amendment that would enable the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to more quickly obtain the electronic transaction records of suspected terrorists.
The amendment was offered by U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and John McCain... Read More »
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday to protect critical energy infrastructure from potentially catastrophic cyber attacks.
The Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2016 was co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID), Angus King (I-ME), Martin Heinrich (D-NM)... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives passed two cybersecurity bills on Tuesday that were authored by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX).
“Over the last several years we’ve witnessed evolving cybersecurity threats from nation-states such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, and from criminal... Read More »
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with the scientific research organization Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, began a multi-country study on Tuesday to evaluate the magnitude of the health risks that Zika virus infection poses on pregnant women and their developing fetuses and infants.... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), held a field hearing on Tuesday on how to better understand how transit operators and first responders prevent, prepare for and respond to incidents on mass transit.
The hearing, titled “Protecting Our Passengers: Perspectives on Securing Surface... Read More »
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates one of the busiest networks of aviation, ground, rail and seaport facilities in the nation, is preparing to deliver a new counter-terrorism and personal safety-training program for its employees.
“We always tell people, if you see... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued two solicitation notices on Tuesday related to the development and procurement of anthrax vaccines for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), a move that Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., said shows the government’s intent to maintain an... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) voted in favor of H.R. 5293 on Friday to strengthen the military’s ability to combat terrorist threats posed by militant groups like ISIL and al Qaeda.
“A primary duty of the federal government as enumerated in the Constitution is to provide for the common... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its Pre-Approval Inspection (PAI) of Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.’s Building 55 for the large-scale manufacturing of BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed).
Following the PAI’s conclusion, Emergent BioSolutions received a No Action Indicated... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation (IAFCF) selected 10 first responders and safety officers on Friday for the 2016 Hazmat Conference Scholarship Awards.
The scholarships, made possible by a grant from Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., provides each recipient with full conference... Read More »
The Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) Defense Spectrum Organization (DSO) named Alion Science and Technology on Wednesday as an awardee of a five-year, multiple-award contract valued up to $137 million to assist the military’s access to wireless spectrum frequencies.
Alion will... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) released data from a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Wednesday that shows that approximately 91 percent of known or suspected terrorists passed a background check to purchase a firearm or explosives between Feb. 2004 and Dec. 2015.
The GAO... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (R-FL) urged the president on Wednesday to reevaluate the Relative Risk Score Threat Level applied to the Orlando area so that it qualifies for funding under the Urban Area Security Initiative.
The two senators sent letters to the Obama... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) seeking approval for the manufacture of BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed) at the company’s Building 55 was accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week.
“Emergent’s... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began its new Prometheus program on Monday to identify prognostic biomarkers that indicate contagiousness following infection but prior to symptoms appearing in a patient.
Prometheus will seek to discover a minimal set of molecular... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday selected the California Department of Health, in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is Los Angeles, to serve a region covering Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific Islands.
With its selection, Cedar-Sinai... Read More »
The House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on Tuesday concerning the U.S. public health response to antibiotic resistant bacteria, otherwise known as “superbugs.”
The hearing was initiated after the discovery of the MCR-1 gene in a Pennsylvania woman who contracted... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug status to Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., on Wednesday for BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed) for post-exposure prophylaxis of anthrax disease from suspected or confirmed exposure to Bacillus anthraces.
BioThrax is the only... Read More »
Lockheed Martin entered into a partnership with Interset’s insider threat detection solution on Monday.
The decision was announced at the 2016 Gartner Risk and Security Summit conference in National Harbor, MD.
“Insider threats pose one of the highest risks to an organization, and... Read More »
The Los Alamos National Laboratory is holding its annual Robot Rodeo, a competition that tests the abilities of bomb disposal robots from companies throughout the southwest, this week.
“The Robot Rodeo gives bomb-squad teams the opportunity to practice and hone their skills in a lively but... Read More »
The House Homeland Security Committee on Friday unanimously passed legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) that enhances U.S. visa screening procedures at posts overseas.
The Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act of 2016, H.R. 5253, seeks to deploy trained law enforcement... Read More »
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), along with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), unveiled the House Republicans’ blueprint for security at home and abroad on Friday.
The blueprint is part of the House GOP’s “A Better Way” initiative, which outlines ideas to... Read More »
Chimerix’s President and CEO M. Michelle Berrey participated in a panel focused on North Carolina’s role in biodefense preparation at the recent “Medical, Biomedical and Biodefense: Support to the Warfighter Symposium.”
"In the event of a smallpox bioweapon event or accidental release,... Read More »
Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) researchers took to the New York City subway system last month to aid in conducting a series of tests on how a biological agent, such as anthrax, might disperse throughout the rapid transit system as a result of a bioterrorism attack or accidental release.... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Tuesday detailing the security gaps in counterterrorism operations with overseas partners.
The report warns that many countries involved with the visa waiver program (VWP) are not holding to the agreements they made to exchange... Read More »
The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a Health Subcommittee markup on Tuesday, discussing the Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response Act, H.R. 3299.
"There is a clear role for the federal government to play in creating medical countermeasures and contributing to our nation's... Read More »
The Alliance for Biosecurity lauded the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday for recommending sustained funding in its FY 2017 appropriations bill for some essential medical countermeasures programs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The... Read More »
