Emerging Infectious Diseases
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, 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 »
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 »
Leading global health experts have released a COVID-19 Frontline Guide for local governments designed to provide local health professionals with more information on how to protect their communities.
The online tool features eight indicators of progress for self-assessment and seven key actions... Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Everlywell announced that an at-home test kit for COVID-19 would be available, starting Monday, March 23.
The initial supply of 30,000 tests is a significant increase in total COVID-19 tests that have been processed in the United States to date. The company plans to have testing and diagnosis... Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
In the expanding efforts to find a solution to testing efforts against COVID-19, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has provided $561,330 to Mesa Biotech, Inc. for development of a new diagnostic test.
This funding -- along with technical expertise -- will help... Read More »
Expanding its efforts to bring COVID-19 vaccines to fruition, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) invested $620,000 into the development of a new vaccine candidate designed by the University of Hong Kong.
“I'm thankful for the support from CEPI,” HKU President Xiang... Read More »
The USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy ship, will be deployed to New York harbor to serve as a 1,000-bed hospital ship that will be used to treat coronavirus patients.
The ship, due to arrive in April, will also have 12 fully-equipped operating rooms and increase New York's hospital surge... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions has struck an agreement with Vaxart, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, to develop and manufacture Vaxart’s experimental oral vaccine candidate for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
As part of the deal, Emergent will utilize its molecule-to-market contract development and... Read More »
Listen to Homeland Preparedness News' discussion with Greg Burel, the former director of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The SNS' massive inventory of critical medical products and drugs are essential in dispatching lifesaving supplies to the nation's emergency responders on the front lines... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc., world-renowned as a bioterrorism expert, is also utilizing its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) status to help quash the coronavirus disease COVID-19.
“For 22 years, Emergent has focused on products and services that address serious public... Read More »
The World Bank and the International Finance Committee (IFC) approved a $14 billion financing package to assist companies and countries in their efforts to respond to the spread of COVID-19.
About $8 billion of that is from IFC, which is a member of the World Bank Group. It will increase its... Read More »
The measures announced by the Trump administration to control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and its HIV Medicine Association.
IDSA officials said an “all-sector, all-society response” is essential to reducing... Read More »
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is urging President Donald Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) as a means of accelerating COVID-19 national response, supply production and readiness.
“In the midst of a pandemic, state and local governments should not be left on their own scrambling to... Read More »
