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World Health Organization (WHO) personnel and officials representing Sanofi, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, said the entities are partnering to readdress neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
“This decades-long collaboration exemplifies a successful public–private... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated its DARPA Toolbox, which provides open licensing opportunities with commercial technology vendors to researchers behind DARPA programs.
“DARPA performers are frequently encumbered by having to negotiate access to tools, IP... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Abbott this week for its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test, allowing for virtually guided use by anyone 15 years or older, with a prescription.
Healthcare providers will refer such patients to the... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic A/S secured $83 million in funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) this week, marking a second investment into its JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine from the U.S. government.
This follows a $106 million investment into the vaccine made in April,... Read More »
A Phase 1/2 clinical study is getting underway in the United Kingdom for Valneva SE’s vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19.
The French pharmaceutical company said on Wednesday that the VLA2001-201 study is a randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the... Read More »
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched a coalition to promote equitable vaccination distribution.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected communities of color in the country. Infection and mortality rates are highest in... Read More »
The engineering, construction, and project management firm Bechtel has initiated an effort to address chemical weapons destruction to reach the goal of eradicating the national stockpile by 2023.
“As a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, the U.S. is committed to destroying the... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the first-ever emergency use authorization (EUA) for an over-the-counter, at-home test for COVID-19, awarding that honor to the rapid Ellume COVID-19 Home Test.
This means anyone at least two years of age or older, whether displaying... Read More »
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) have partnered with the non-profit Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative on a phase 2 clinical trial to screen multiple potential COVID-19 drugs simultaneously.
Unlike many such trials, which focus on a single drug, this... Read More »
Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers maintain the coronavirus can be killed efficiently, quickly, and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs).
Scientists believe the UV-LED technology would soon be available for private and commercial use, suggesting installation in air... Read More »
In documents released ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting on Dec. 17 to discuss the future of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined the two-dose vaccine to be effective and safe for adults.
If approved for emergency use authorization later... Read More »
Bastille Networks has secured a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) pact to address unwanted wireless device intrusions.
Through the Phase 5 Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), the Atlanta, Georgia-based... Read More »
A COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Sanofi and GSK ran into trouble last week when interim results from a phase 1/2 study showed it to produce little immune response among older adults.
While the candidate showed sufficient results in those aged 18 to 49 years, researchers believe its lack of... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to quickly authorize the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, following an advisory committee's recommendations.
That committee voted 17 to 4 in favor of approval. Once emergency use authorization (EUA) is granted, the... Read More »
Roche has formed a partnership with Moderna to use its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S, or COVID-19, antibody test in Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine research trials.
The Roche tests will provide a quantitative measurement of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and help to establish a correlation between... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will provide up to $10 million for the cost of a phase 1/2 study and materials manufacturing for a recombinant protein vaccine candidate (GBP510) created by South Korea-based SK bioscience.
This vaccine is meant for use against... Read More »
Top executives of FedEx and UPS assured Congress Thursday their firms have been preparing for months and are ready to transport hundreds of millions of doses of the fledgling COVID-19 vaccines, the first of which is expected to be approved by federal regulators as soon as Thursday.
“We’ve... Read More »
In tests conducted on mice, the ricin toxin vaccine RiVax -- developed by Soligenix, Inc. -- provided at least a full year’s worth of protection against the deadly agent.
Ricin is a lethal plant-derived toxin feared for its potential use as a bioterrorism and chemical warfare agent. Highly... Read More »
In a new report, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) warns of the risks related to the digitization and automation upgrade plans for U.S. nuclear weapons systems.
The report, U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization: Security and Policy Implications of Integrating Digital Technology, calls on the U.S.... Read More »
CARB-X, or Combatting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, recently won an award from the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) for its progress in expanding the pipeline of innovative products to address antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The 2020 Innovating for Impact Partnership Award honors an... Read More »
According to research published this week in The Lancet journal, the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 is safe and effective at preventing the disease, as well as protecting against illness and death.
No severe cases and no hospitalizations were required more than 21 days after the... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced plans this week to release guidance on the systematic screening of tuberculosis (TB), including an updated means of addressing the disease through new approaches, new technologies, and the latest evidence.
“Systematic screening is critical to... Read More »
Experts from 21 countries, industry, and non-government organizations gathered virtually last month for the 12th meeting of the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities - focusing on enhancing nuclear security engagement.
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) indicated the session addressed,... Read More »
Under the terms of a new agreement, Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. will help produce INOVIO’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800, joining a global manufacturing consortium that also includes Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richter-Helm BioLogics, and Ology Biosciences.
"Our partnership with Kaneka... Read More »
The latest test to be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) represents a major milestone amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: the first combination test capable of detecting both COVID-19 and influenza A and B using samples collected at home.
“With just one swab or sample,... Read More »
According to a new report by IBM Security X-Force, malicious cyber actors are targeting the COVID-19 cold chain, an integral part of delivering and storing a vaccine at safe temperatures.
Cyber attackers, posing as officials from biomedical companies, are sending phishing emails to executives... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) is advocating equitable COVID-19 vaccine global access, noting that placing low and lower-middle-income nations (LLMICs) without access would cause significant economic damage.
The WHO-led ACT Accelerator serves a unique global collaboration supporting... Read More »
With flu season looming, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced plans this week to work with Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. to develop two rapid point-of-care antigen tests capable of detecting and differentiating between COVID-19 and influenza.
Both tests -- the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) has introduced a bill that encourages medical manufacturers to keep their manufacturing operations in the United States.
The Mobilize America to Manufacture Equipment Required for Independence from Communist Adversaries Act (Mobilize AMERICA Act) would provide an... Read More »
The U.S. Army has awarded a $66 million contract to Textron Systems Corporation for 36 Shadow aircraft in the latest Block III configuration.
“We are proud to maintain our strong partnership of more than 20 years with the U.S. Army on the Shadow program,” Textron Systems Senior Vice... Read More »
In preparation for rising cases of COVID-19, the United States Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) have purchased an additional 650,000 doses of Eli Lilly and Company’s investigational monoclonal antibody therapeutic, bamlanivimab.
This puts the total number of... Read More »
Roche Diagnostics’ new Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 antibody test gained emergency use authorization (EUA) from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, granting a new blood test to test those who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
The test detects antibodies directed against the... Read More »
Valneva SE, a biotech company headquartered in France, on Wednesday announced plans to accelerate the pediatric development of its Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15, which is being co-developed with Pfizer Inc.
“We are pleased that Pfizer and Valneva have decided to accelerate this... Read More »
Smiths Detection has been awarded a $4 million contract by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to supply an explosives trace detector to airports across the United States.
The two-year contract is for the supply of Smiths IONSCAN 500 DT Explosives Trace Detection Systems (ETD). The... Read More »
The Army has awarded a $911 million contract to Oshkosh Defense to produce 2,738 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), 1,001 companion trailers, and associated kits.
The contract represents the second largest order of Oshkosh Defense JLTVs. The equipment will be supplied to the Army, Navy,... Read More »