News
New REAL ID enforcement deadline established due to COVID-19 crisis
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline one year to Oct.1, 2021, in the wake of COVID-19. The extension is in accordance with directives from President Donald Trump, and DHS will publish a notice of the new deadline in the... Read More »
WHO Director-General presses G20 for unified response to fighting COVID-19 pandemic
The world is at war, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the G20 Leaders Summit this week, and every country needs to unite to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. “You have come together to confront the defining health crisis of our time: We are at war... Read More »
HHS implements Executive Order targeting medical supply hoarders
In a system severely taxed by the COVID-19 pandemic, hoarding of health and medical supplies has become a serious concern, and a new Executive Order, to be enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is now in effect to tackle that concern. “Today, we designated a set... Read More »
DHS researchers working to better understand the coronavirus and how it spreads
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is conducting research to better understand the COVID-19 coronavirus and prevent its spread. Currently, there is only limited information available about the virus. Researchers at the National Biodefense Analysis... Read More »
Rep. Katko introduces bill to address shortage of personal protective equipment
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced a bill Wednesday to address the shortage of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies. The Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act would require the president to use the authority invoked under the Defense Production Act to produce... Read More »
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center enrolling patients for two remdesivir clinical trials
Clinical trials for the potential COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir are getting underway at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), which announced this week that it is enrolling patients for two studies. The test, developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., is a general-purpose antiviral first... Read More »
Entos Pharmaceuticals manufacturing DNA vaccine candidates for COVID-19
Entos Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian biotechnology company, is working on a DNA vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2 -- the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 -- and intends to test it on animal models. The vaccine, produced using a proprietary drug delivery platform, offers yet another potential... Read More »
Northwestern University awarded NSF grant for self-sanitizing face mask project
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a rapid response research (RAPID) grant to a Northwestern University researcher to develop a new self-sanitizing medical face mask. The funding initiative stems from the NSF calling for immediate proposals addressing the spread of... Read More »
BAE secures self-propelled howitzer contract
BAE Systems has secured a $339 million contract modification from the Army to address long-term readiness and modernization needs of the M109 self-propelled howitzer program. The scope of work would include the production of 48 vehicle sets of M109A7 Self-propelled Howitzer (SPH) and its... Read More »
FDA takes steps to increase the availability of medical supplies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided instructions to manufacturers importing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other devices to increase supplies to support the COVID-19 response. The instructions clarify the types of PPE that can be imported without engaging with the... Read More »
KBR secures cybersecurity engineering support agreement
Professional services and technologies firm KBR has secured a $26.8 million task order to provide additional Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) cybersecurity engineering support. The agreement aids the AFLCMC’s Engineering Directorate Cyber Systems Engineering Division in... Read More »
Lawmakers urge first responder COVID-19 support
A bipartisan group of lawmakers said they are seeking bolstered legislative support for first responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) joined Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Peter King (R-NY), Mike Bost (R-IL), and over 100 of their... Read More »
BARDA partners with three private health companies pledge additional COVID-19 diagnostics
The U.S. government has reached collaboration agreements with three more companies in the ongoing effort to create rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests and fill the divide between demand and supply. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is involved in all three cases. It... Read More »
HHS offers $100M in COVID-19 preparation aid for U.S. Healthcare Systems
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced this week that $100 million would be given to U.S. healthcare systems to help handle a continuing surge in COVID-19 patients at nationwide hospitals. The $100... Read More »
Illinois partners with manufacturing, biotech industries to procure medical supplies
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has formed partnerships with the manufacturing and biotech industries to increase the state's supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to battle the coronavirus. The partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the... Read More »
Rep. Thompson seeks more information on protective equipment from HHS
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is seeking more information from Trump administration officials on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical medical equipment and supplies available in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The Federal Emergency Management... Read More »
Merck donates 500,000 personal protective masks to New York City
Merck & Co. officials said the firm has provided 500,000 personal protective masks to New York City as part of efforts to address the COVID-19 outbreak. “COVID-19 is a generational challenge to the global community,” Merck Chairman and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier said. “At Merck, we embrace our... Read More »
Novartis to donate up to 130 million doses of hydroxychloroquine in response to COVID-19 pandemic
The global medicines company Novartis has committed to donating up to 130 million doses of generic hydroxychloroquine to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. Hydroxychloroquine, in addition to chloroquine, is currently under evaluation in clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment. Novartis is... Read More »
Infectious disease experts urge Defense Production Act to spur medical equipment production
Heads of various medical and infectious disease associations called on President Donald Trump to swiftly invoke the Defense Production Act and use it to force private industry to meet the current demands for medical supply and equipment production. As one, the presidents and chairs of the... Read More »
NIH launches educational site to train high-risk occupations during COVID-19 crisis
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to launch an education-packed website in the days ahead to train high-risk occupations still working amidst the outbreak of COVID-19. The training is meant to help workers, such as hospital employees, food processing and delivery workers,... Read More »
Sens. Peters, Murray seek report from Trump administration on COVID-19 response
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) are calling on the Trump Administration to report to Congress on the federal government’s COVID-19 response. Specifically, they are seeking information about nationwide testing capacity, hospital bed space, personal protective equipment... Read More »
HHS provides support to evaluate Kevzara as COVID-19 treatment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will provide additional support for the development of Kevzara as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Kevzara -- developed under a collaboration between Regeneron and Sanofi... Read More »
Measure seeks to strengthen US supply chain
A bipartisan group of senators recently baked a measure they said strengthens the nation’s supply chain. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Strengthening America’s Supply Chain and National Security Act as a means of building off the plan he released last month to address the nation’s... Read More »
Lawmakers implore total implementation of Defense Production Act
A group of lawmakers recently urged President Donald Trump to immediately implement all Defense Production Act (DPA) powers to expedite the production of needed materials during the coronavirus emergency. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently joined 18 of their... Read More »
Emergency airlift brings 500,000 swabs, sample kits to US markets
A joint effort between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) last week yielded 500,000 swabs and sample kits for COVID-19 testing that otherwise would have been stranded in Italy. The supplies, produced by the Italian company Copan Diagnostics,... Read More »
HHS, DoD provide advanced development support for Cepheid’s COVID-1- rapid diagnostic
A new diagnostic developed by Cepheid gained advanced development support from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) this week, pledging potential COVID-19 testing times of just 45 minutes. Developed for use on another Cepheid product, the GeneXpert diagnostic... Read More »
CEPI invests $4.9M in consortium to develop COVID-19 vaccine
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will invest $4.9 million in a consortium working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The investment and partnership include the Institut Pasteur in Paris, Themis Bioscience, an Austrian biotechnology company, and the University of... Read More »
FDA issues hand sanitizer manufacturing guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Friday two guidelines regarding the temporary manufacturing of certain alcohol-based hand sanitizer products in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are aware of significant supply disruptions for alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” FDA... Read More »
Bill targets expedited healthcare access, FDA approvals
A group of legislators introduced last week legislation designed to increase healthcare access while expediting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treatments approved in other countries. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mike Braun (R-IN)... Read More »
Georgia Department of Pathology efforts at novel coronavirus test yield two-hour turnaround
A new novel coronavirus test developed by the Georgia Esoteric and Molecular (GEM) Laboratory at the Georgia Department of Pathology promises diagnosis turnaround capabilities of just two hours. At this time, the test is meant for patients of the Augusta University Health System. That said, Dr.... Read More »
Experts plead for COVID-19 response to be led by public health officials
While the preparations for COVID-19’s rapid spread through the United States have been widely noted as lacking, public health experts now are calling for public health officials -- not healthcare providers or politicians -- to take charge of the crisis and guide both the response to it and... Read More »
Chloroquine, other drugs, being investigated for use against COVID-19
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the drug chloroquine to be tested as a potential COVID-19 treatment, as part of ongoing efforts to find countermeasures, but the data does not say whether it will work yet, experts warn. Chloroquine, a malaria, lupus and arthritis... Read More »
Washington state lawmakers seek Medicare, Medicaid COVID-19 waiver
A delegation of federal lawmakers representing the state of Washington is seeking a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS) national emergency waiver to aid in addressing COVID-19. The Senate and House of Representatives members have forwarded correspondence to CMMS Administrator Seema... Read More »
Air Force Chief of Staff addresses COVID-19 protections, mission fulfillment
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein recently provided insight into the branch’s COVID-19 protection efforts while also focusing on mission fulfillment and obligations. Goldfein indicated as of March 18, there have been seven confirmed coronavirus cases among active-duty personnel,... Read More »