Legislation aims to expand antibiotic pipeline, address antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest global public health concerns and is projected to be so for the next three decades. In the United States alone, 2.8 million people contract an antibiotic-resistant infection, killing more than 35,000 people each year. Approximately 15 percent of... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Ernst, Tillis advocate expanded service member COVID-19 testing
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are encouraging the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct rapid antigen COVID-19 tests of military service members, their families, civilians, and contractors. The effort stems from aiding in detecting asymptomatic virus carriers while... Read More »
BAE Systems secures USS Wasp contract
The Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $197.4 million contract to perform maintenance and modernization work aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp. “BAE Systems is very familiar with USS Wasp, performing substantial upgrade work onboard before its forward deployment to Japan three years... Read More »
Johns Hopkins report details lessons learned from New York City hospitals’ COVID-19 patient surge
From April through June 2020, New York City hospitals were overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, and now, a working group of 15 hospital intensive care unit directors and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security have reported on the successes and failures of that time. “Crisis Standards of... Read More »
Study: Zika virus solution may lie in commonly used, tetracycline-based antibiotics
A preclinical study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that tetracycline-based antibiotics like methacycline, or drugs designed to combat Alzheimer’s and inflammation, may slow infection and reduce neurological problems associated with the Zika virus. This conclusion was... Read More »
Ohio lawmakers request full federal funding for Ohio National Guard’s response to COVID-19
Ohio Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are urging federal officials to support Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s request to restore and extend full federal funding for the Ohio National Guard’s COVID-19 response mission. Since the pandemic hit, approximately 2,000 members of the Ohio... Read More »
CBP warns shoppers about the hazards of buying counterfeit terms this holiday season
With the onslaught of the holiday shopping season, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remind shoppers how consumers can protect themselves from buying counterfeit goods and brand name “knock-offs.” “CBP’s primary mission is to protect... Read More »
Purdue Pharma pleads guilty to fraud, kickbacks
Opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracies to defraud the United States and violate the anti-kickback statute. In a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney General’s office said the pharmaceutical company pleaded guilty... Read More »
HHS announces plans to allocate initial doses of Regeneron COVID-19 treatment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to allocate initial doses of Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody therapeutic, casirivimab and imdevimab. The treatments received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 21 for treatment of... Read More »
DHS issues RFI for night vision technologies for first responders
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking commercial technologies to enable night vision for first responders. Interested parties should submit their products by 5:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 10 for inclusion in a market survey by S&T’s National... Read More »
DOD initiative advocates industrial workforce
The Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded its first nine prototyping projects to bolster the industrial workforce sector. The projects, valued at nearly $27 million, are in conjunction with the National Imperative for Industrial Skills initiative, also known as the Skills Imperative. " A... Read More »
Congress passes Internet of Things legislation
Last week, Congress passed an Internet of Things (IoT) legislation, establishing baseline standards for government-purchased Internet-connected devices. The Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act was introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), garnering unanimous House approval in September, with the... Read More »
HHS, DoD award $25M in contracts to Siemens Healthineers for domestic production of COVID-19 antigen tests
Two federal contracts amounting to $25 million were awarded to Siemens Healthineers by the United States Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) this month to develop and support domestic production of COVID-19 tests. The tests use either a nose or possibly saliva sample... Read More »
Purtian Medical Products nets $11.6M federal contract to boost production capacity of nasal swabs
With the need for nasal swabs for COVID-19 tests growing, the United States Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) have awarded $11.6 million to Puritan Medical Products Company, LLC to expand the domestic production capacity of Cue Sample Wands. This contract will... Read More »