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The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) issued guidance for the clinical treatment of three of the most common drug-resistant pathogens.
While antibiotics save lives, the bacteria and other microbes can evolve in ways that enable them to resist a drug’s intended effect. Misuse or... Read More »
The Air Force has awarded a $13.3 billion contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation to modernize the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system via the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program.
The scope of work would be based on the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD)... Read More »
Amid fears of political pressures to rush a vaccine for COVID-19, nine CEOs of biopharmaceutical companies working on these candidates have signed a pledge to uphold the scientific process and safety in any development.
The companies include AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Johnson &... Read More »
Thanks to its global manufacturing consortium, biotechnology company INOVIO plans to manufacture 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800, in 2021.
The latest to join the consortium was Thermo Fisher Scientific earlier this week, which signed a letter of intent on the... Read More »
The University of Chicago Medicine is conducting a clinical trial to study the potential of an antibody treatment for COVID-19.
For the trial, called BLAZE-1, the University of Chicago is recruiting 22 participants to be treated with the LY-CoV555 antibody developed by Eli Lilly and Company in... Read More »
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) has joined a group of health industry organizations in launching the Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) to address health, safety, and the economy.
“Unfortunately, misinformation and conflicting messages about COVID-19 have confused the... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has awarded a $13.5M contract to Smiths Detection to provide HCVT advanced X-ray scanners for use at railway checkpoints.
The scanners would be used at northern and southern border checkpoints, with initial deliveries... Read More »
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) has forwarded correspondence to eight potential COVID-19 vaccine providers, inquiring about maintaining scientific and data-based standards in the wake of possible political pressure.
Durbin sent letters to Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will host a phase three trial of the vaccine candidate AZD1222, developed by AstraZeneca, at five locations selected by Operation Warp Speed.
For the trial, the selected sites include Naval Medical Center San Diego, Joint Base San Antonio Brooke Army Medical... Read More »
Sanofi and GSK began a phase 1/2 clinical trial of their jointly developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate last week, opening enrollment for 440 participants after pre-clinical studies show promising positive safety and immunogenicity.
The vaccine is based on the recombinant protein-based technology... Read More »
The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued a statement about the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, any poisoning of an individual through the use of a nerve agent is considered a use of... Read More »
A Center for American Progress (CAP) report maintains there are lessons to be learned regarding 2016 election interference and addresses steps to shield future votes from such actions.
“America was caught off guard in 2016, but there are no excuses in future elections,” said James Lamond,... Read More »
The intravenously administered drug Kevzara will no longer be investigated as a potential COVID-19 treatment, Sanofi confirmed this week, after it failed to meet either its primary or secondary goals during a phase 3 trial among severely and critically ill patients.
Hundreds were tested with the... Read More »
A study run by collaborators from Imperial College London and Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre has found that the over the counter steroid hydrocortisone improves recovery changes among patients critically ill with COVID-19.
"The studies published today show that we now have more... Read More »
The virus that causes COVID-19 has mutated minimally since December 2019, according to a study by a team of scientists from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
The research team arrived at this conclusion after conducting a genetic analysis of sequences from more than 27,000 individuals... Read More »
Roche announced this week plans to launch a SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test capable of 15-minute turnarounds for markets accepting the CE Mark and file for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Meant for use in point of care settings -- which allow... Read More »
A contract between Royal Philips and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would have brought 43,000 bundled EV300 ventilator configurations to the Strategic National Stockpile will be terminated after fulfillment of just 12,300 this month.
“To date, we have delivered on... Read More »
Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline dosed the first patient last week in a phase 2/3 study with its COVID-19 treatment.
The treatment, VIR-7831, is a fully human anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody, for the early treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of hospitalization.... Read More »
Lockheed Martin has secured a contract with the U.S. Army to produce High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and associated hardware, with delivery slated for the end of 2022.
HIMARS is a lightweight mobile launcher, transportable via C-130 and larger aircraft for rapid... Read More »
A partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and NOWDiagnostics, Inc. will produce a rapid, point of care, in vitro diagnostic test for COVID-19 known as ADEXUSDx.
Based on the similarly named ADEXUSDx platform, the test proposes rapid detection of... Read More »
The United Kingdom-based biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca launched phase 3 testing of its potential COVID-19 vaccine -- AZD1222 -- in the United States this week, with plans to enroll as many as 30,000 adult volunteers across 80 testing sites.
AZD1222 was originally developed by Oxford... 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 new, interim report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security released this week showcases a path to ethical allocation and distribution of an eventual COVID-19 vaccine, meant to help facilitate those early days after it is first authorized for use.
The Interim Framework for COVID-19... Read More »
