Threats
NIH starts phase 3 trial of three immune modulator drug possibilities for COVID-19
The National Institutes of Health kicked off a large, phase three clinical trial last week to chart the safety and efficacy of three modulator drugs being considered for use on patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The three drugs to be used are Janssen Research & Development, LLC’s infliximab... Read More »
US, Canadian regulators sign agreement to enhance nuclear security
The United States and Canada are working together to improve and better coordinate nuclear safety and security. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for... Read More »
Defense Department awards nearly $7M contract to Teel Plastics for COVID test swabs
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded a $6.98 million contract to Teel Plastics to expand the production of injection-molded and extruded swabsticks used in COVID-19 testing kits. This award will increase production by an additional 50 million per month for each swabstick type by March... Read More »
Control trial of repurposed COVID-19 drugs reveals conclusive evidence on effectiveness
A randomized control trial on COVID-19 therapeutics has generated conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of repurposed drugs -- like remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine, among others -- to treat COVID-19. The results from the Solidarity Therapeutics Trial, coordinated by the World Health... Read More »
Study says Facebook users are less likely to spread Russian propaganda if source is revealed
A new report by the Rand Corporation finds that Facebook users would be less likely to spread Russian propaganda if they knew it emanated from a Russian source. Russia uses political memes to polarize Americans, particularly those at the extreme ends of the political spectrum, according to Rand... Read More »
Utah man receives drug trafficking life sentence
The Justice Department said U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball sentenced a Utah man to life in prison for heading an organization that distributed more than 500,000 counterfeit pills nationwide. Authorities said the sentence was handed down to Aaron Michael Shamo, 30, indicating he was the CEO... Read More »
Preclinical results of Sanofi, Translate Bio mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate show favorable immune capabilities
Another COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise for antibodies produced, at least in preclinical results released by Sanofi Pasteur and Translate Bio last week for their mRNA-based offering, MRT5500. The candidate produced neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes... Read More »
BARDA, Beckman Coulter announce partnership for clinical trial of MIS-C test
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Beckman Coulter are joining forces to fund a multi-center clinical trial of Beckman Coulter’s Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW) hematology biomarker, a test meant to rapidly detect MIS-C. MIS-C, or Multisystem Inflammatory... Read More »
Army researchers developing new COVID-19 antibody testing process
Researchers with the U.S. Army Futures Command are developing alternative ways to measure COVID-19 antibody levels that are faster, easier, and less expensive. Their work revolves around finding alternatives to measuring virus neutralization, or VN, titers. This process is the gold standard of... Read More »
Report assesses Huawei challenges, 5G network building
A new Center for American Progress report details methods the United States can use to address expanding Huawei market and national security challenges and its 5G network building role. The analysis maintains America has ignored the policies Beijing uses to make the tech company Huawei the... Read More »
FDA approves Immazeb as first treatment for Ebola virus
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a major medical breakthrough this week, approving Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to produce Inmazeb, the first treatment for Ebola virus infections to reach that point. Inmazeb is a mix of three monoclonal antibodies, which work by targeting the... Read More »
NIAID to conduct study evaluating COVID-19 therapies, drugs
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) launched a study to determine whether certain approved therapies or investigational drugs show promise against COVID-19. The ACTIV-5 Big Effect Trial is being conducted in partnership with the National Institutes of Health’s... Read More »
Reps. McCarthy, Schweikert applaud NIAID for Valley Fever research initiative
U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and David Schweikert (R-CA) commended the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) for establishing a research initiative to treat and prevent Valley Fever. The NIAID recently issued a notice of funding opportunity to establish a... Read More »
Sen. Collins addresses funding of LymeX initiative
Sen. Susan Collins (D-ME) recently addressed the new $25 million LymeX initiative, which was announced this week in partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Stephen and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. LymeX is the largest public-private partnership to combat Lyme... Read More »
Rep. Cicilline urges Pompeo to address growing online anti-Semitic trends
Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-RI) has requested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to acknowledge combatting online anti-Semitism addresses movements domestically and across the globe during next week's State Department conference. “Anti-Semitic cyberhate is a serious global challenge, and we must... Read More »
BARDA, DoD award $481M to Cue Health for COVID-19 molecular test production expansion
A $481 million award from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Department of Defense (DoD) this week will help Cue Health, Inc. expand the production capacity of a cartridge-based point-of-care molecular test for COVID-19. With the fund injection, Cue aims to... Read More »
HHS, DoD offer Cytiva $31M to expand manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 vaccine components
Massachusetts-based Cytiva will partner with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) to expand its manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccine components and aid the federal Operation Warp Speed. Operation Warp Speed is focused on bending U.S.-based... Read More »
FDA Commissioner maps out route to request COVID-19 vaccine approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued guidance to provide sponsors, or vaccine makers, with information on requesting an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines. The October guidance, which complements June guidance issued by the agency, specifically... Read More »
HHS , DoD expand partnership with AstraZeneca to develop, manufacture COVID-19 antibody treatment
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) announced greater collaboration with AstraZeneca last week, specifically aimed at the late-stage development and manufacturing of its COVID-19 treatment, AZD7442. AZD7442 is a drug cocktail made up of two monoclonal... Read More »
Public-private partnership between HHS, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation yields $25M LymeX innovation accelerator
At the virtual LymeMIND conference last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation announced they would partner on a $25 million endeavor known as the LymeX Innovation Accelerator. LymeX will be the largest Lyme disease-focused... Read More »
House Energy and Commerce leaders seek GAO review of HHS’s cybersecurity
Congressional leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are seeking a review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of cybersecurity incident response capabilities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The E&C leaders said the HHS needs to be able to manage... Read More »
New Jersey lawmakers asks FBI director to increase federal response to white nationalists groups
U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), along with other congressional representatives from New Jersey, are urging the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase the federal response related to white nationalist groups in their state. The lawmakers said they have seen... Read More »
Justice Department sets new policy governing the purchase of foreign-made drones
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has revised its policy governing the award of grants to purchase foreign-made Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The revised policy requires grant recipients to use OJP funds to procure and operate UAS only in a manner that promotes... Read More »
Defense Department awards $600M for 5G testing at military bases
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded $600 million for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites. The test sites include Hill Air Force Base in Utah; Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington; Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia; Naval Base San Diego in California;... Read More »
DARPA details RACER initiative
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) personnel are espousing the benefits of the department’s DARPA’s Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program. Authorities said RACER seeks to ensure algorithms are not the limiting part of the system and... Read More »RAND report warns of likely Russian attempts to sow discord in U.S. presidential election by social media
Election interference has sounded many alarms this year, all the way to the White House and the halls of Congress. Now, the Rand Corporation is warning that a coordinated effort on Twitter to influence and provoke chaos during the upcoming presidential election is underway. “Social media has... Read More »
BARDA partners with Current Health for remote, wearable COVID-19 monitoring support
Under a new partnership, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will collaborate with Current Health to develop an algorithm based on a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved wearable monitor to predict the need for COVID-19 hospitalization. By forecasting the... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions product chosen for new NIH clinical COVID-19 trial
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is one of four companies collaborating to provide hyperimmune globulin products for a new federal clinical trial that will test the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a combination treatment regimen for COVID-19. The regimen consists of the antiviral remdesivir plus... Read More »
Sens. Tillis, Blackburn introduce bill to combat foreign threats to steal COVID-19 research
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill that would give the president the authority to sanction foreign nations that try to steal American research on COVID-19. The Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act authorizes sanctions that would specifically target a... Read More »
New committee forms in Washington to improve pandemic preparedness
Lawmakers and public health officials, along with officials from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, have launched the Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security. This nonpartisan group will convene educational... Read More »
Space Force satellite passes initial design review
U.S. Space Force personnel said the agency’s Boeing-developed Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11+ communications satellite successfully completed its first major engineering design review. “Completing this engineering design review is a key milestone and brings us one step closer to delivering... Read More »
Democrats blast HHS for allowing lab-developed COVID-19 tests to market without FDA review
Recent news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had overruled the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow COVID-19 lab-developed tests to come to market without FDA review was met by major warnings from House Democrats this week. In a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar,... Read More »
Cepheid gains federal support for single, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19, influenza and RSV
A new test being developed by molecular diagnostics company Cepheid gained support from federal agencies this week, on the promise that it could become a one-stop-shop for diagnosing COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Support is coming from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority... Read More »
DHS releases Homeland Threat Assessment report
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA) – a report that synthesizes threat information across DHS, including intelligence and operational components. “This HTA is as close as the American people will get to seeing and understanding the... Read More »