Combining remdesivir, concentrated antibodies no more effective than remdesivir alone against COVID-19
Results of a multinational, Phase 3 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-funded trial last week showed that combining remdesivir with anti-coronavirus hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin (HIVIG) fails to do more for COVID-19 hospitalized adults than remdesivir... Read More »
Sen. Tester tours Hawaii military facilities, receives readiness briefs
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, recently joined U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in touring the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Honolulu. The effort also included operational briefings regarding the force posture of the U.S.... Read More »
Reps. Thompson, Costa, Neguse advocate for increase in wildfire mitigation efforts
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden advocating increased wildfire mitigation efforts. U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) spearheaded the correspondence that included signatures from 11 House of Representatives... Read More »
FTC sues to block Lockheed Martin from $4.4B acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a lawsuit to block Lockheed Martin Corporation from the vertical acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc to prevent critical market consolidation. Regulators argued the $4.4 billion acquisition effort would remove the last independent U.S.... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster federal disaster response
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is espousing the benefits of a bill that would bolster federal disaster response efforts. Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently detailed how the Repeal of Obsolete DHS Contracting Requirements Act would address a... Read More »
Moderna begins dosing for Phase 2 testing of omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine booster
Moderna, Inc. dosed the first participant this week for its Phase 2 study of a COVID-19 booster vaccine tailored to the omicron variant, mRNA-1273.529, kicking off a two cohort trial that will span the United States. In all, approximately 300 participants will be enrolled in each cohort. One... Read More »
BAE secures Marine Corps contract for Amphibious Combat Vehicles
BAE Systems officials said the company has secured a Marine Corps contract award totaling $169 million for 33 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs). “BAE Systems is dedicated to helping the Marines meet their expeditionary and Force Design 2030 needs,” John Swift, director of amphibious programs... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster federal cybersecurity
U.S. Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and James Comer (R-KY) introduced Tuesday legislation to bolster the federal government’s cyber defenses in the wake of a series of high-profile cyberattacks. Maloney, chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, and Comer, ranking member of the... Read More »
Rep. Griffith introduces legislation ensuring domestically-produced PPE
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has introduced legislation requiring the federal government to partner with domestic personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers to ensure a supply during national emergencies. The Domestic Security Using Production Partnerships and Lessons from Yesterday... Read More »
BioNet earns up to $16.9M from CEPI for studies, production and analysis of variant-proof SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Drawing from a $200 million program meant to stimulate the development of vaccines with broad betacoronavirus protection, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced a $16.9 million award this week for development efforts by BioNet. BioNet, a French-Thai vaccine... Read More »
Sens. Murray, Burr release discussion draft of PREVENT Pandemics Act in effort to improve public health systems
Trying to bolster U.S. public health and medical preparedness and response systems after COVID-19 exposed their flaws, U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have released a discussion draft of a new bill calling for overhaul across the board. Known as the Prepare for and Respond... Read More »
HHS to distribute more than $2B additional funds for healthcare providers hurt by COVID-19 pandemic
Building on the nearly $9 billion in funding already granted to the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and healthcare providers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to make more than $2 billion of additional relief... Read More »
Port of Los Angeles launches Cyber Resilience Center
The Port of Los Angeles announced Monday it had launched its Cyber Resilience Center (CRC), a port community cyber defense solution that would improve the cybersecurity of the Port. The CRC would enhance threat-sharing and recovery capabilities among supply chain stakeholders, the Port said.... Read More »
CBP provides monthly operational update
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued Monday its December 2021 operational statistics update, which offers a comprehensive view of agency initiatives. “The dedicated men and women at CBP are committed to ensuring dangerous drugs and counterfeit products are off the streets, our... Read More »