Bipartisan Disease X Act would push future pandemic response through countermeasures program

While some have started to put the COVID-19 pandemic firmly behind them, other emphasize the lessons learned, and two of those figures this week introduced the Senate Disease X Act of 2023, proposing creation of a federal Disease X Medical Countermeasures program.

Meant to ready the nation for future pandemics, the endeavor was thought up and submitted by U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). If successful, it would create the new program under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and authorize $40 million in funding per year for five years to strengthen development of effective countermeasures for these future diseases.

“Our nation must be equipped and prepared to effectively respond to the next infectious disease outbreak,” Tillis said. “We must learn from the lessons—including failures—in our preparedness for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our bipartisan legislation will provide the necessary resources and facilitate public-private partnerships to accelerate research and develop of critical countermeasures.”

Presently, no sustained funding, program or strategy exists to hasten development of medical countermeasures or previously identified infectious disease threats with pandemic potential – AKA, Disease X.

In addition to guaranteed funding for these efforts, the bill would also specify that the Health and Human Services Department may award contracts, grants and cooperative agreements, or pursue other transactions, to promote Disease X countermeasure development. BARDA would also be required to support and hasten advanced research, development and procurement of appropriate countermeasures and products, while requiring products developed with its support to be substantially manufactured domestically.

“This Act would be a major leap forward in our collective efforts to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape,” Anita Cicero, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said. “The Disease X Act of 2023 empowers BARDA to invest in modern technologies that will lead to new vaccines and drugs against pandemic–capable viruses. We commend Senators Baldwin and Tillis for their vision and urge all lawmakers to unite in support of this important bill.”

Johns Hopkins backed the bill alongside numerous other organizations, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Big Cities Health Coalition, American Society for Microbiology, George Mason University and more.