News
Detect, Inc. to develop rapid, molecular over-the-counter COVID-19 and flu test with BARDA support
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a contract to Detect, Inc. last week for the development of an over-the-counter test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2, as well as influenza A and B, within 30 minutes. This rapid diagnostic – the Detect COVID/Flu Test... Read More »
Bill addresses Congressional authority over international arms sales
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) has re-introduced the Values in Arms Export Act of 2022, which seeks to restore Congressional authority over international arms sales. Additionally, the legislation would prevent domestic arms from being used to violate the laws of war and human rights.... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Coons introduce Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act to bolster domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing
A combined legislative effort from U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) brought the Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act (S.3553) to the Senate this week, offering a proposal of how to improve domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for public health... Read More »
DHS launches Cyber Safety Review Board
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently launched Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), maintaining it would unite government and industry leaders to bolster cybersecurity. Authorities indicated the CSRB was formed in accordance with President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14028 on... Read More »
Senate advances legislation bolstering FEMA disaster response efforts
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) have offered responses regarding the Senate advancing legislation they sponsored targeting bolstered Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster response efforts. The Achieving Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery and Resilience... Read More »
NIAID issues new Pandemic Preparedness Plan, shifting focus to prototype viruses and known viral dangers
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released a new Pandemic Preparedness Plan this week, directing its research efforts toward identifying pathogens with potential for significant spread among humans and those already known to be major threats. Informed by a... Read More »
DHS seeking mobile radiation detection systems data
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking data regarding commercially available mobile radiation detection systems. The request for information (RFI) stems from agency efforts to assist emergency responders on varied radiation detection... Read More »
NIAID issues more than $4.5M through three awards to aid valley fever research
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded more than $4.5 million in total awards this week to support research into valley fever being conducted by the Universities of California-San Francisco, California-Los Angeles, and Texas-San Antonio. That money will be... Read More »
House Active Shooter Alert Act proposes AMBER Alert-like system for notifying public of gun danger
In introducing the Active Shooter Alert Act (H.R.6538) to the House this week, U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Fred Upton (R-MI) proposed creating a system similar to the AMBER Alert system for law enforcement to use in notifying the public of active, local gun violence. AMBER Alerts are... Read More »
FDA Advisory Committee to hold virtual discussion on possible Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for young children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will hold a virtual meeting on Feb. 15 to discuss the possibility of allowing Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to be used on children as young as 6 months old. The companies... Read More »
Bill seeks to criminalize dangerous drone activity
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced this week the Drone Act of 2022, which seeks to criminalize dangerous drone activity, including actions of drug and human traffickers embracing drone technology to facilitate operations. The legislators noted... Read More »
DHS highlights increase in human trafficking arrests, seizures
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its annual Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) report, reflecting an increase in arrests and seizures. “The courageous public servants of the Department of Homeland Security dedicate every day to supporting the... Read More »
Sens. Baldwin, Cassidy push genetic surveillance and genomic sequencing bill as path to viral threat tracking
With the introduction of the Tracking Pathogens Act (S. 3534) this week, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) proposed the institution of national genomic sequence-based surveillance as a means of charting circulating pathogens, transmission patterns, and... Read More »
Justice Department unveils human trafficking combating initiative
The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled its new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking this week in accordance with the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. “Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of... Read More »
Moderna awarded full FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded full approval to Moderna, Inc’s Spikevax vaccine for COVID-19 last week, greenlighting the mRNA vaccine for use without restriction on adults and making it the second COVID-19 vaccine to earn the measure. Approval was based on endorsement of... Read More »
Defense Department awards nearly $4M to University of Maryland to fund terrorism data collection efforts
The University of Maryland (UMD) has secured a Department of Defense (DOD) award totaling nearly $4 million to support data collection efforts on terrorism-related projects and other asymmetric threats. The DOD would fund data collection on several projects that include the Study of Terrorism... Read More »
Preclinical studies demonstrate Merck’s oral antiviral molnupiravir effective against COVID-19 Omicron variant
Citing data from six preclinical studies, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics last week announced that their oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine, molnupiravir, maintained efficacy against the widespread Omicron variant. These in vitro lab studies were independently organized and conducted by... Read More »
Sen. Ernst, colleagues urge Biden administration to enforce Iranian oil tanker sanctions
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently joined nine colleagues seeking enforcement action regarding a growing fleet of Iranian oil tankers evading domestic sanctions. Ernst and her colleagues forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden to also address the issue of entities purchasing Iranian... Read More »
Bipartisan Congressional lawmakers announce support for National AI Research Resource
In a letter written to the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), a bipartisan collection of senators and representatives last week urged continued pursuit of artificial intelligence development, albeit with special care to ethics and... Read More »
Defense Department awards military uniforms contract to Brittany Global Technologies
Brittany Global Technologies, based in New Bedford, Mass., has secured a $1.3 million Department of Defense (DoD) contract for industrial base production of Berry Amendment compliant fabrics for military uniforms. “This increased capacity will ensure the U.S. government continues to have... Read More »
Federal lawmakers press U.S. Army for development of new situational awareness technology for close-quarters
In a letter dispatched to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth last week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, along with U.S. Reps Brian Higgins and Joseph Morelle, urged the development of new cameras to boost military situational awareness. Specifically, they... Read More »
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 »