News
FDA cracks down on unvetted COVID-19 antibody tests with new list
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators have moved against dozens of supposed COVID-19 antibody tests that have never been shown to work, publishing a list of those that failed to file applications or have already pulled their products voluntarily. There are 28 on that list so far,... Read More »
Acting DNI director initiates reforms in National Counterterrorism Center
Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell announced several reforms to increase efficiency within the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The changes, based on the recommendations of career... Read More »
HHS begins distributing billions in relief funds to skilled nursing facilities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun distributing billions in additional relief funds to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing homes have faced unique challenges as their population of high-risk seniors are more vulnerable to... Read More »
Bills target medical supply chain, manufacturing issues
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) has introduced two measures he said are designed to address medical supply chain vulnerabilities while increasing capacity for domestic manufacturing of drugs and medical devices. The Pharmaceutical Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency (PART) Act would expand... Read More »
InSPIRE event bolsters disaster preparedness, resilience innovations
Two agencies are espousing the benefits of the Innovation Summit for Preparedness and Resilience (InSPIRE), which is dedicated to fostering policy and technology innovation for preparedness and resilience. The summit was hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology... Read More »
BARDA partners with VitalConnect on wearable monitor for COVID-19 patients, nursing homes
Recognizing the dangers presented by COVID-19 to the elderly and immunocompromised in particular, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has partnered with VitalConnect to create a wearable monitor that could provide early warning signs and improve patient... Read More »
House committee discusses SNS preparedness with former director
Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a teleconference forum former director of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to improve its readiness for events like COVID-19 pandemic. The Strategic National Stockpile is a federal resource designed to supplement state and local... Read More »
Senators seek info from FBI, CISA on Chinese hackers of COVID-19 data
Several U.S. Senators have reached out to the leadership at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about attempts by the Chinese to steal intellectual property related to COVID-19. The FBI and CISA had sent out a joint notice,... Read More »
AstraZeneca commits to at least 400 million doses of Oxford’s potential COVID-19 vaccine
AstraZeneca has reached first agreements for at least 400 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, including 300 million for the United States. First shipments will begin rolling out to the U.K. in September, then the United States in October. The... Read More »
Marine Corps launches infantry modernization initiative
Marine Corps personnel said the Systems Command’s Program Manager for Infantry Weapons (PM IW) has initiated a modernization project designed to increase infantry squad lethality. “This is the largest modernization of the infantry squad in the last 25 years,” Lt. Col. Tim Hough, Marine... Read More »
Kantaro Biosciences created as joint COVID-19 test effort between Mount Sinai Health System, Renalytix
Mount Sinai Health System and Renalytix AI have formed Kantaro Biosciences, LLC, as a means of developing, producing, and distributing a COVID-19 testing kit based on Mount Sinai’s high-performance serologic assay for antibodies. The test kits hunt for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and are usable in... Read More »
Sens. Coons, Graham introduced legislation targeting live animal markets
U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced new legislation this week that would end the sale of wildlife species within live animal markets deemed high-risk for human consumption. Tied to previous outbreaks of human diseases, such markets have gained increasing scrutiny... Read More »
Senators urge Trump to ramp up COVID-19 testing, tracing
A group of U.S. Senators, including Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), sent a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the COVID-19 Testing Blueprint that the Administration recently released. The blueprint includes plans to expand state testing capacity and establish... Read More »
Senators urge COVID-19 task force to provide PPE, testing for firefighters battling wildfires
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on the Trump administration officials to help secure personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits for firefighters and federal law enforcement personnel charged with fighting wildfires. “Peak fire season comes closer every day. However, it is... Read More »
Partnership to yield FirstNet platform informational
National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) personnel said the organization has united with AT&T to educate officers nationwide regarding the benefits of FirstNet, the public safety communications platform. The initiative involves providing insight on the impact FirstNet can have on public safety... Read More »
LLNL researchers aid development of tularemia vaccine
A pair of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are part of a three-institution team funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to further develop a tularemia vaccine. Nick Fischer and Amy Rasley will collaborate with University of New Mexico and Tulane National... Read More »
NIH Director Collins highlights public-private efforts to respond to COVID-19 in JAMA article
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins co-wrote an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that a swift, coordinated effort across many sectors of society is necessary to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article – co-written by Collins and... Read More »
HHS, CDC to award $11B for COVID-19 testing
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding $11 billion in funding to support COVID-19 testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide $10.25 billion to states, territories, and local jurisdictions through its Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for... Read More »
Moderna proposes public offering of common stock shares to raise funds for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
With an underwritten public offering of $1.25 billion in shares of common stock, Moderna, Inc. hopes to entice buyers to raise funds for the manufacturing of mRNA-1273, the company’s vaccine candidate for use on SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus responsible for COVID-19. Additionally, underwriters will... Read More »
International Association of Fire Chiefs urges passage of HEROES Act
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is encouraging lawmakers to pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. The measure provides direct assistance to state and local governments, protects critical public safety radio spectrum, funds essential... Read More »
New online course trains thousands of COVID-19 contact tracers
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) said the agencies have trained over 10,000 individuals nationwide in COVID-19 contact tracing. The effort seeks to support ongoing state and local public health agencies in preparing... Read More »
Trump administration announces structure, leadership for ‘Operation Warp Speed’
The Trump administration appointed last week Dr. Moncef Slaoui and U.S. Army General Gustave F. Perna to lead the advancement of Operation Warp Speed, a program to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 medical countermeasures. Slaoui, a former Chairman of both... Read More »
Oxford-developed COVID-19 vaccine protected monkeys from virus-caused pneumonia in study
Research conducted last month by scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford showed promise for the investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, at least when used on rhesus macaques. The vaccine, which was created by the University of Oxford Jenner... Read More »
Leaders of Costa Rica, Chile launch effort with WHO to create COVID-19 platform
The leaders of Costa Rica and Chile, working with the World Health Organization (WHO), are spearheading an effort to create a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines, and other health products against COVID-19. “Our proposal relies on... Read More »
Senate bill seeks to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced May 15 legislation designed to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020 seeks to advance research and development, advance biomanufacturing, develop the future bioeconomy workforce, and support various... Read More »
TSA addresses transportation insider threats
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has crafted a structure the agency said is designed to combat potential transportation sector insider threats. The TSA Insider Threat Roadmap streamlines processes, identifies requirements and capabilities, and leverages partnerships to... Read More »
GAO issues chemical facility protection recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a series of recommendations regarding chemical facility cybersecurity oversight. Officials said DHS’s Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program evaluates high-risk chemical... Read More »
NIAID begins clinical trial examining hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin as COVID-19 treatments
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) started last week a clinical trial to evaluate if a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin could treat COVID-19 in mild or moderate cases. Adults meeting that description can express interest in participating by email.... Read More »
FDA warns Abbott ID NOW test for COVID-19 may give inaccurate results
Another COVID-19 is being investigated for faults, resulting in the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn people that the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care test may return inaccurate, false negative results. The warning stems from some scientific studies that have identified... Read More »
Rep. Buchanan introduces bill to rebuild stockpile of critical medicines
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced legislation that would create a new federal office responsible for stockpiling adequate supplies of critical medicines in the United States. The Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act authorizes $100 million to create National Centers of Excellence... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation seeks to improve federal cybersecurity
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation that will facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in cybersecurity. The Cyber Leap Act of 2020 would establish cybersecurity grand challenges on improving the economics related to federal... Read More »
Reps. Pallone, DeGette seek answers from CDC on keeping food production workers safe
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are asking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the steps taken to further protect food production workers from the coronavirus. There have been a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in food production... Read More »
FBI, CISA issues warning for COVID-19 research organizations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to organizations conducting research on the COVID-19 pandemic. These agencies are warning that healthcare researchers are prime targets from fraudsters from the... Read More »
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions members push for HHS transparency on remdesivir
Concerned about the level of transparency being provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the distribution of the antiviral remdesivir, senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee are pressing for information. Remdesivir is a therapeutic... Read More »