News
GOP lawmakers urge action by Trump administration against hackers
Republican committee leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are urging the Trump administration to impose consequences on China-linked hackers who have targeted U.S. institutions, including sanctions. “We applaud your administration’s work to ramp up the investigation and prosecution... Read More »
FirstNet expands North Carolina reach
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) officials said the high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to first responders has expanded across North Carolina as a means of advancing public safety communications. “FirstNet is a dedicated broadband platform for public safety, by... Read More »
Bill addresses counterfeit medical products
Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced Monday legislation targeting potentially harmful counterfeit medical products while also protecting patients from such dangers. The Safeguarding Therapeutics Act would empower the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to seize and destroy... Read More »
GSK, CureVac to collaborate on up to five mRNA-based vaccines and antibodies for infectious diseases
CureVac and GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) have signed an agreement to work together on the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of as many as five mRNA-based vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for use against infectious diseases. By collaborating, CureVac gains access to GSK’s mRNA... Read More »
Oxford-developed coronavirus vaccine shows strong immune responses, no safety concerns
A coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University produced strong immune responses in a phase 1/2 trial of 1,077 people, scientists from the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group reported this week, possibly heralding a safe and effective candidate. The findings of the UK trial, which... Read More »
COVID-19 vaccine race is on: Biopharma companies on fast-track to deliver product by 2021
Several biopharmaceutical companies are working in unprecedented fashion to develop, manufacture and deliver a safe and effective vaccine to combat COVID-19 as soon as is humanly possible. Executives from five companies developing COVID-19 vaccine candidates — AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson &... Read More »
U.S. needs to unite and restructure to meet disaster demands, emergency management panelists warn
The United States was just as dangerously unprepared to combat a coronavirus pandemic in 2020 as it was back in 2015, former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman noted in the opening remarks of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense’s virtual meeting on Tuesday, setting the tone for a critical examination of... Read More »
FDA reissues EUA for Quest Diagnostic’s COVID-19 test
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reissued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Quest Diagnostics for its COVID-19 test. The Quest test is the first COVID-19 diagnostic test to be authorized for use with pooled samples containing up to four individual swab specimens collected under... Read More »
Senators urge Congressional leaders to include funding for COVID-19 vaccine infrastructure
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on Congress to provide at least $5.6 billion in federal funding to support the COVID-19 vaccine infrastructure. The funding -- needed to boost the country’s vaccine supply and distribution system -- should be included in the next coronavirus relief... Read More »
Sen. Gardner advocates cybersecurity enhancement efforts
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) forwarded correspondence last week to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) personnel, urging efforts to bolster cybersecurity infrastructure against Russia and China threats. Gardner maintains the advocacy... Read More »
Florida lawmakers seek increased allotment of COVID-19 drug
A group of Florida lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Department of Health and Human Services as a means of increasing the state’s COVID-19 drug allotment. Reps. Donna Shalala (D-FL) and Charlie Crist (D-FL) joined Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in leading the... Read More »
Joint agreement between Pfizer, BioNTech to yield 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidate for UK
Under an agreement with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, the United Kingdom will receive 30 million doses of their BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2, expected to be delivered over the next year. While the drug -- four vaccine candidates operating under the broader BNT162 category... Read More »
IDSA sees House Appropriations bills as promising start, still come up short amid pandemic
With news that appropriations bills aimed at addressing the COVID-19 pandemic had passed out of House committees this week, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) examined and declared the bills to provide critical resources, albeit with significant gaps and inadequate funding. This... Read More »
FLIR Systems wins Army contract for nerve agent detection spray
The U.S. Army has awarded FLIR Systems a $21.8 million contract to deliver its Agentase C2 spray to detect G- and V-series nerve agents, which are highly toxic chemical warfare agents. It is a full-rate production option worth $21.8 million on an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity (IDIQ)... Read More »
Study examines contract tracing speed effectiveness
Recently released study findings published in The Lancet Public Health journal has determined contact tracing speed strategies to be essential to slowing COVID-19 transmission. Contact tracing involves tracking down all of the people who have been in contact with an infected individual so they... Read More »
Sen. Feinstein urges HHS, EPA to implement COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and implement a COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program. Testing wastewater has been proven as a successful method to detect viruses and... Read More »
Bill enables TSA passenger temperature screenings
A trio of lawmakers have introduced a bill they said requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a trial program to check passenger temperatures before advancing through airport security. Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Ted Budd (R-NC) and John Larson (D-CT) said the TSA... Read More »
Novartis builds 15 medicine, not-for-profit portfolio to treat COVID-19 symptoms
While treatments for COVID-19 remain under research, Novartis announced a new initiative for low- and middle-income countries this week that will supply 15 generic and over-the-counter medicines at zero-profit as a way of treating symptoms. The policy is only meant as a hold-over until a vaccine... Read More »
COVID-Local launches new policy mapping tool and database for information on specific policies’ impacts
Looking to inform decision making during a pandemic, COVID-Local has created a policy mapping tool and database for communities, giving them a way to measure the effects of their COVID-19-related actions against specific policies. COVID Analysis and Mapping of Policies is meant to identify... Read More »
IDSA, infectious disease groups, oppose Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from WHO
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), along with other infectious disease associations, are opposed to the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision will weaken the nation’s ability to control the... Read More »
BARDA awards contract to Smiths Medical for safety needles, syringes
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced a deal to work with Smiths Medical to expand the domestic manufacturing capacity for safety needles and syringes. BARDA, along with the DoD’s Joint Program Executive Office for... Read More »
DARPA initiates bug bounty program
Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) officials said the organization has launched Finding Exploits to Thwart Tampering (FETT), its inaugural bug bounty program. The endeavor, which officials said seeks to uncover potential weaknesses within new secure processors in development on the... Read More »
Bill targets military firefighter PFAS care
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) has introduced a measure that ensures military firefighters exposed to toxic per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals receive Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) healthcare. Currently, military firefighters exposed to firefighting foam containing PFAS are not... Read More »
COVAX Facility builds coalition of more than 160 countries interested in equitable COVID-19 vaccines
The COVAX Facility -- an organization created to guarantee quick and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world -- has garnered the interest of 75 countries and plans to support as many as 90 lower-income countries through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s Advance Market Commitment... Read More »
House Energy & Commerce Committee approves bill to strengthen Strategic National Stockpile
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation on Wednesday to strengthen public health security by bolstering the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and boosting the domestic manufacturing of medical supplies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The bipartisan Strengthening... Read More »
Sen. Daines calls for more funding to speed the development of COVID-19 vaccines
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is requesting more funding for potential COVID-19 vaccines in any new coronavirus relief package. “As you continue your work on critical legislation to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, I write to you today to urge your support for robust funding that will help... Read More »
Rep. Casten introduces bill to reduced emissions within DoD
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) introduced legislation designed to reduce emissions and increase use of clean energy sources for the Department of Defense (DoD). The National Security Resiliency and Sustainability Act (H.R. 7417) would enact Obama-era standards, which were revoked in 2018. The DoD... Read More »
Marine firefighters participate in training exercise
Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Marines based out of Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton recently participated in a mobile aircraft fire fighting training exercise alongside San Diego County firefighters. The effort executed at the San Diego International Airport in San Diego, Calif.,... Read More »
Legislation targets national cybersecurity enhancement
A New York lawmaker has introduced a trio of measures he said are designed to enhance national cybersecurity while bolstering stability in leadership positions, funding, and resources. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) said the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director and Assistant... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories launches desktop data mining effort to aid COVID-19 research efforts
Sandia National Laboratories is turning to machine learning to assist COVID-19 researchers in combing through existing coronavirus studies and data. Through a mix of algorithms, analytics, and data mining, Sandia wants to make it easy for scientists to find the data they need right at their... Read More »
Moderna interim analysis shows promising immune response results from COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Moderna, Inc. expects to begin a 30,000 participant phase 3 study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate later this month, following the publication of an interim phase 1 analysis that demonstrated a generally safe and well-tolerated reaction among a small group of healthy adults. The results,... Read More »
Reps. Pallone, Eshoo, and DeGette ask FDA about accuracy of COVID-19 tests
Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) seek answers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its process to determine the accuracy of COVID-19 diagnostic and serological tests. “Public health experts have consistently called for increased access to... Read More »
University of Queensland’s COVID-19 candidate enters Phase 1 clinical trial
The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate reached a milestone as the first participants were enrolled in its Phase 1 clinical trial. The university’s vaccine is the seventh that is part of the portfolio of vaccines funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness... Read More »
Collaboration targets enhanced cyber defense
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a means of aiding state and local governments with cyber defense efforts. The APL and DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have enlisted the assistance of... Read More »