News
Bill targets reduced access to synthetic drugs
Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) introduced this week a measure designed to help reduce synthetic drug access. The Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act seeks to make permanent the current, temporary classification of fentanyl-related... Read More »
Regeneron Phase 3 trial data for REGEN-COV cocktail shows 70 percent reduced risk for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients
A Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.-created drug cocktail of casirivimab with imdevimab, REGEN-COV, was recently shown to provide a 70 percent reduced risk of hospitalization or death and shortened symptom duration in non-hospitalized patients afflicted with COVID-19. The drug cocktail is meant... Read More »
Sanofi/GSK COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows high efficacy, acceptable tolerability in interim Phase 2 trial results
Across all adult age groups, going as high as 95 years old, a phase two trial of the Sanofi and GSK adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate has demonstrated high antibody responses and no safety concerns, according to interim data released this week. Strong immune responses included a... Read More »
Charles River Analytics wins federal contract for simplified pharmaceutical risk assessment system
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) recently awarded a $100,000 contract to Charles River Analytics for the creation of a means to assemble information from global trade networks and pharmaceutical drug data and present it in a way that would allow quick identification of problems in the supply... Read More »
Reps. Thompson, Katko introduce legislation to investigate Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol
U.S. Reps Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), chair of the Committee on Homeland Security, and John Katko (R-NY), the committee’s ranking member, on Friday introduced legislation to form a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The legislation,... Read More »Legislators advocate for COVID-19 vaccine surplus delivered to Latin America
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are encouraging the Biden administration to devise a plan enabling any surplus COVID-19 vaccine to be forwarded to Latin America and the Caribbean. The legislators sent correspondence to President Joe Biden regarding the... Read More »
DHS issues National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin
After consulting with the Intelligence Community and law enforcement partners, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin. “Today’s terrorism-related threat landscape is more complex, more dynamic, and more... Read More »
Real-world CDC study finds approved mRNA vaccines 94 percent effective against COVID-19
The results of a real-world Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of 1,843 health workers across the United States showed last week that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are 94 percent effective. Currently approved mRNA vaccines... Read More »
COVAX Manufacturing Task Force set up to address vaccine supply challenges
Fearing for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, COVAX has set up a manufacturing task force to coordinate with other organizations in identifying and tackling roadblocks to those critical health supplies. According to the task force, the production output of COVID-19 vaccines is set to... Read More »
Rep. Pascrell authors first responder bill
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, urged Congress to support a bill that would increase the benefits to first responders who die or are injured in the line of duty. The bill, H.R. 2936, or the Protecting America’s First Responders Act... Read More »
Sens. Portman, Heinrich introduce AI bills
Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced this week two pieces of legislation designed to bolster the government’s artificial intelligence (AI) readiness and long-term investments support in ethics and safety research. The Artificial Intelligence Capabilities and... Read More »
Reps. Katko, Garbarino comment on Biden’s cybersecurity executive order
U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) recently issued a statement regarding the Biden Administration’s release of the Executive Order (EO), which the Administration said seeks to bolster national cybersecurity. Katko, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland... Read More »
National medical organizations call for sharing of lessons learned from COVID-19 epidemic, greater equity in future
In a public statement released last week, nine national organizations highlighted the pains COVID-19 inflicted upon the world in general and already historically marginalized populations in specific and pressed for strategies to improve crisis standards of care, along with equity. “The... Read More »
Johnson & Johnson offer up to 200,000 vaccine regimens for WHO use on Ebola in Sierra Leone
As part of a World Health Organization (WHO) early access clinical program in Sierra Leone, up to 200,000 vaccine regimens from Johnson & Johnson will be distributed among children and adults. Donated to the WHO for the program, the vaccine regimen already received prequalification from the WHO... Read More »
Rapid COVID diagnostic test developed by Penn Medicine delivers results within four minutes with 90 percent accuracy
A new low-cost, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 developed by Penn Medicine provides results within four minutes and is 90 percent accurate. According to a paper published this week in Matter, the test – RAPID 1.0 (Real-time Accurate Portable Impedimetric Detection prototype 1.0) – is... Read More »
Measure targets INTERPOL abuse
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) reintroduced legislation this week to counter politically motivated abuse of INTERPOL by authoritarian regimes. The Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention (TRAP) Act establishes domestic priorities for responding to INTERPOL... Read More »
Sens. Warner, Bennet seek review of space command relocation decision process
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden, seeking a review of the U.S. Space Command relocation decision process. The senators are encouraging Biden to consider how the Trump Administration’s decision to relocate U.S.... Read More »
Legislation to help fund public and private responses to cyberattacks advances out of Senate committee
Senate legislation meant to provide resources and enhance coordination for major cyberattacks, such as the one recently experienced in the Colonial Pipeline attack, has unanimously advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill, which will now face the... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation seeks new state, local government-focused cybersecurity grant program at DHS
Seven U.S. representatives introduced the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act this week, which seeks to authorize a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program to fund local and state cybersecurity efforts. In all, the program would benefit from $500 million in funding to... Read More »
Legislation introduced in House to protect federal judges, law enforcement and public safety officers
U.S. Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Bill Johnson (R-OH), and Steve Stivers (R-OH) joined Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) Tuesday to introduce legislation that would give greater protections to federally funded public service officers. The Back the Blue Act creates new criminal provisions for killing,... Read More »
DHS launches domestic violent extremism initiative
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently initiated a new Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) to address domestic violent extremism. DHS Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated that the initiative would enhance the agency's ability to combat... Read More »
Congressional hearing addresses cybersecurity breaches
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee recently convened a hearing with senior federal cybersecurity personnel to examine present and future cybersecurity breaches. The hearing was convened by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs... Read More »
Rep. Katko urges investment into CISA Pipeline Cybersecurity Initiative amid ransomware attack
Following the recent ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company, U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) is urging the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for great investment into the Pipeline Security Initiative public-private partnership. The Pipeline Cybersecurity Initiative... Read More »
House E&C committee leaders urge HHS Secretary to restore FDA authority over COVID-19 lab-developed tests
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and subcommittees wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra this week urging a reversal of a Trump administration policy that stripped Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over COVID-19 lab-developed tests (LDTs).... Read More »
Emergent execs to testify before House coronavirus subcommittee
Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a multinational biopharmaceutical company, on Wednesday said it is on track to meet federal COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing standards and executives will testify during a congressional hearing next week on the company’s progress since a batch of the coronavirus vaccine... Read More »
Northrop Grumman secures CIRCM system production contract
The U.S. Army awarded this week Northrop Grumman Corporation a five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $959.1 million for full-rate production of the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system. “CIRCM’s cutting-edge capability has been proven against... Read More »
House Republicans seek end to cartel TikTok activity
Rep. John Katko (R-NY) led this week a group of House colleagues in encouraging the social media platform TikTok to address cartel activity amid an escalating crisis on the southwest border. “We are deeply troubled by media reports that cartels are brazenly recruiting people to conduct... Read More »
Phase 2 trial data shows INOVIO COVID-19 vaccine effective and well-tolerated in all age groups
Biotechnology company INOVIO revealed that the placebo-controlled and blinded phase two segment of a United States clinical vaccine trial has shown positive, safe, and well-tolerated results for INO-4800 when used against COVID-19. As a result of the test results, a 2 mg dose will be used for... Read More »
FDA expands emergency authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is now authorized for emergency use among adolescents ages 12 through 15. While children have seemingly been less susceptible to COVID-19 at large, they can still be carriers, and plenty have... Read More »
Trust for America’s Health calls for robust public health system funding
America’s historically underfunded public health system played a major role in the nation’s laggard COVID-19 response, according to a new report released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). And while it’s too soon to calculate with precision, it is likely that the United States... Read More »
University of Texas Medica Branch scientists awarded $11.3M NIAID grant to study Ebola
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced Friday it has awarded researchers at the University of Texas Medica Branch (UTMB) at Galveston $11.3 million to study Ebola. The multiyear grant will fund research into the immunopathogenesis of Ebola, specifically why cells... Read More »
Orange County man arrested for allegedly obtaining $5M in fraudulent COVID-relief PPP loans
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) officials said a California man has been arrested on federal charges, alleging he fraudulently obtained approximately $5 million in Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans. Authorities noted Mustafa Qadiri, 38, of Irvine, was named in a returned federal... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic to supply additional smallpox vaccines
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has exercised the final $12 million option to produce the remaining $202 million smallpox vaccine order. The order would be supplied by JYNNEOS, encompassing the Smallpox and Monkeypox vaccine. The option covers the supply of... Read More »
Measure seeks to bolster National Guard cybersecurity
U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced legislation last week to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity by enabling governors to decide how the National Guard responds to cybersecurity threats. The National Guard Cybersecurity Support Act would enhance states' readiness and... Read More »