Threats
Congress advances legislation to address shoreline erosion on Great Lakes to president’s desk
After securing U.S. House support last week, the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, which is meant to reduce risks of flooding, rising water levels, and shoreline erosion along the Great Lakes, is headed for final review by the president. Introduced by U.S. Sens.... Read More »
COVAX initiative secures deals for nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines
On behalf of 190 participating economies, the global COVAX initiative has secured access to nearly 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine candidates and plans to begin dispensing those doses early next year to protect vulnerable groups. While most of the vaccine candidates involved are still under... Read More »
DARPA rolls out Reefense program to protect military installation from coastal storm damage
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has established a new initiative designed to protect military installations from coastal storm damage and flooding. DARPA’s new Reefense program seeks to develop biological and engineered reef-mimicking structures to mitigate wave and... Read More »
DARPA, JPEO-CBRND funds target COVID-19 treatment development
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) have earmarked $37.6 million for COVID-19 treatment development. A research team representing scientists from The Wistar Institute,... Read More »
Hologic to speed development of combo SARS-CoV-2/Flu test under expanded federal partnership
Thanks to an expansion of a partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Hologic, Inc. will accelerate the development of the Aptima SARS-CoV-2/Flu assay, dangling the promise of a test capable of differentiating between the pair. Specifically, the test... Read More »
FDA working to finalize EUA for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine following advisory committee vote
A Moderna, Inc. vaccine is on track to become the second COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in the United States, following this week's positive endorsement from the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). The VRBPAC, an advisory committee for the U.S. Food... Read More »
RPI researchers address shortages of medical facilities during a health crisis
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are looking to improve the manufacturing of rapidly deployed structures to address future shortages of medical care and quarantine facilities during a health crisis, like the current pandemic. The stress that COVID-19 has placed on medical... Read More »
Reps. Gabbard, Massie sponsor bill to repeal Patriot Act, FISA amendments
U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a bill that would repeal the USA Patriot Act and amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to remove provisions that they say undermine civil liberties. The bill, the Protect Our Civil Liberties Act (H.R.8970),... Read More »
WHO, Sanofi renew tropical disease focus
World Health Organization (WHO) personnel and officials representing Sanofi, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, said the entities are partnering to readdress neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). “This decades-long collaboration exemplifies a successful public–private... Read More »
BinaxNOW COVID-19 home test granted emergency use authorization by FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Abbott this week for its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test, allowing for virtually guided use by anyone 15 years or older, with a prescription. Healthcare providers will refer such patients to the... Read More »
BARDA invests another $83M into Bavarian Nordic’s smallpox vaccine
Bavarian Nordic A/S secured $83 million in funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) this week, marking a second investment into its JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine from the U.S. government. This follows a $106 million investment into the vaccine made in April,... Read More »
Sacklers endure House committee’s outrage over Purdue Pharma’s role in opioid crisis
Two prominent members of the founding family of Purdue Pharma appeared before Congress Thursday and continued to distance themselves from an aggressive marketing campaign the company allegedly used to drive sales of the dangerous opioid painkiller, OxyContin. Kathe Sackler and David Sackler... Read More »
Valneva starts clinical trials in UK for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
A Phase 1/2 clinical study is getting underway in the United Kingdom for Valneva SE’s vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19. The French pharmaceutical company said on Wednesday that the VLA2001-201 study is a randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the... Read More »
DEA launches campaign to reduce drug misuse, overdose
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is launching a new campaign that urges the public to “Secure Your Meds” as part of its effort to reduce drug misuse and overdose. The administration hopes the campaign will remind Americans to clean out their medicine cabinets and secure unused... Read More »
Johns Hopkins leads coalition for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched a coalition to promote equitable vaccination distribution. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected communities of color in the country. Infection and mortality rates are highest in... Read More »
CDC will award $227M for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, tracking
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award $140 million for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced. The CDC will also award almost $87 million for tracking and testing to 64 jurisdictions, including all 50 states and... Read More »
Bechtel initiates chemical weapons destruction initiative
The engineering, construction, and project management firm Bechtel has initiated an effort to address chemical weapons destruction to reach the goal of eradicating the national stockpile by 2023. “As a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, the U.S. is committed to destroying the... Read More »
Tests address public transit virus spread reduction
Three entities have initiated real-world testing efforts to determine the most effective measures to address the public transit virus spread reduction. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has partnered with the New York Metropolitan... Read More »
FDA authorizes Ellume test as first over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 diagnostic
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the first-ever emergency use authorization (EUA) for an over-the-counter, at-home test for COVID-19, awarding that honor to the rapid Ellume COVID-19 Home Test. This means anyone at least two years of age or older, whether displaying... Read More »
HHS, DoD tap Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative for a phase 2 clinical trial of multiple COVID-19 treatments
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) have partnered with the non-profit Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative on a phase 2 clinical trial to screen multiple potential COVID-19 drugs simultaneously. Unlike many such trials, which focus on a single drug, this... Read More »Delaware to make Naloxone available for free delivered through the mail
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ (DHSS) Division of Public Health DPH) will allow that state’s residents to access Naloxone free by mail. In an announcement on Friday, DPH said increasing access to naloxone is critical to reducing overdose deaths, especially as more... Read More »
House bill would fund a COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign
A bipartisan bill authorizing a public advocacy campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine participation and provide science-backed information was introduced in the House this week. The bill provides necessary funds for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control... Read More »
Researchers maintain LED lighting kills coronavirus
Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers maintain the coronavirus can be killed efficiently, quickly, and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs). Scientists believe the UV-LED technology would soon be available for private and commercial use, suggesting installation in air... Read More »
Funds target Virginia human trafficking
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has earmarked $525,000 in federal grant funding to continue the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force (HRHTTF) for at least three more years. The funding allotment via the DOJ's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) would allow the Task Force to expand into new... Read More »
Democrats criticize Trump administration following reports of declined additional COVID-19 vaccine doses
Although distribution of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has begun in the United States, Democrats are criticizing reports that the White House failed to pre-order more doses of the vaccine when it had the opportunity and are pressing for more transparent pandemic planning. News broke last week in... Read More »
NY Assemblyman touts proposed state bill to enact co-prescription of naloxone
New York State Assemblyman John T. McDonald III (D) is co-sponsoring a bill that would enact co-prescription of an opioid and an opioid overdose reversal drug like naloxone in New York, following a trend of similar laws enacted in California, New Jersey, and nine other states. Co-prescription... Read More »
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine found to be safe, 94 percent effective by FDA
In documents released ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting on Dec. 17 to discuss the future of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined the two-dose vaccine to be effective and safe for adults. If approved for emergency use authorization later... Read More »
CBP officers seize $2.8M in narcotics at the Laredo Port of Entry
Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Laredo Port of Entry said they have seized more than $2.8 million worth of narcotics in two separate and unrelated actions at the World Trade and Colombia-Solidarity Bridges. “The effort to... Read More »
NDAA includes bill to create Cybersecurity State Coordinators in every state
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report, which passed in the U.S. Senate, includes establishing a Cybersecurity State Coordinator position in every state. The bill would provide each state with a federally funded Cybersecurity Coordinator, responsible for preventing... Read More »
DHS funds target wireless device intrusions
Bastille Networks has secured a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) pact to address unwanted wireless device intrusions. Through the Phase 5 Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), the Atlanta, Georgia-based... Read More »
DARPA Gremlins Project evolving as it completes third flight test deployment
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) personnel said recent attempts at airborne retrieval of three unmanned air vehicles, nicknamed Gremlins, was inches from success in the latest flight test series. During the initiative, which began on Oct. 28, each X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle... Read More »
Sanofi, GSK COVID-19 vaccine delayed to improve immune response in older adults
A COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Sanofi and GSK ran into trouble last week when interim results from a phase 1/2 study showed it to produce little immune response among older adults. While the candidate showed sufficient results in those aged 18 to 49 years, researchers believe its lack of... Read More »
U.S. buys another 100 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as emergency use authorizations roll out
With the distribution of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine underway in the United States and an emergency use authorization (EUA) expected to follow for Moderna’s vaccine this week, the federal government is preparing through massive logistics and additional purchases. The government’s Operation... Read More »
DHS to launch Homeland Security Startup Studio in January
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is introducing a new program designed to commercialize federally funded breakthrough technologies to support homeland security missions. The program, called the Homeland Security Startup Studio, will launch on... Read More »