Threats
Abbott gains emergency use authorization for 15-minute COVID-19 antigen test
Abbott gained emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week for a COVID-19 antigen test known as BinaxNOW, which proposes to test patients for $5, with a 15-minute turnaround on results. Quick, portable, and affordable, Abbott intends for its tool to be... Read More »
Harvard collaborates with AbbVie on viral infection research alliance
AbbVie is teaming up with Harvard University on a $30 million research alliance to study and develop novel therapies against emergent viral infections. The focus of the research, which will take place at Harvard Medical School (HMS), is on viral infections caused by coronaviruses and other... Read More »
Sen. Durbin discusses COVID-19 vaccine safety with Operation Warp Speed chief
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates with General Gustave Perna, chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, Durbin... Read More »
USCIS averts furlough of nearly 70 percent of workforce
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials said spending cuts and increased incoming revenue and receipts has resulted in averting an administrative furlough of more than 13,000 employees. “Our workforce is the backbone of every USCIS accomplishment. Their resilience and... Read More »
Rep. LaMalfa seeks greater wildfire aid for California
U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) said lack of planning, personnel, and equipment has led to extreme California wildfire damage and has invited federal officials to the state to aid with solutions. LaMalfa said he has extended an invitation to Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Agriculture... Read More »
FDA pressed over changes to COVID-19 convalescent plasma treatment requirements
Changes to the requirements for emergency use authorization (EUA) of convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised new barriers for hospitals, and a new line of questions from U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Fred Upton (R-MI). In a... Read More »
AstraZeneca doses first participants in phase 1 clinical trial for COVID-19 treatment
A phase 1 clinical trial for AZD7442, a combination monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 licensed by AstraZeneca, began this week for 48 healthy participants in the United Kingdom. Throughout the study, researchers will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic releases results of Phase 3 study for smallpox vaccine
Bavarian Nordic released the results from its Phase 3 study of the freeze-dried formulation of its MVA-BN smallpox vaccine. The FDA approved the liquid-frozen formulation of the vaccine in September 2019 under the name JYNNEOS. The prior Phase 2 study has shown bioequivalence between the... Read More »
Lawmakers urge FDA commissioner to ensure science and safety – not politics – drive COVID-19 vaccine approval
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner to ensure that sound science and the protection of public health alone drive FDA’s COVID-19 vaccine approval process. “Any political... Read More »
Cleveland hospital to aid COVID-19 vaccine research
Cleveland, Ohio-based University Hospitals will serve as one of 120 global clinical investigational sites to test Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine. The clinical trial would be initiated at UH Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Robert Salata, chairman of the Department of Medicine at UH... Read More »
CISA addresses 5G security, resilience
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials said the agency’s fifth generation (5G) technology strategy seeks to advance the development and deployment of a secure and resilient infrastructure. “The promise of 5G is undeniable, but with 5G technology posed to underpin a... Read More »
COVAX facility gathers 172 countries supporting nine COVID-19 vaccine candidates
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the global COVAX initiative can now count 172 national economies and nine potential COVID-19 vaccines under its banner, seven of which have entered clinical trials. The goal of the COVAX facility is to bring the... Read More »
Maryland touts COVID-19 R&D efforts among nearly 40 local companies, universities
Thanks to the efforts of nearly 40 companies and universities in the state of Maryland, millions of dollars have been dedicated to the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and tests for COVID-19, Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week. Those efforts include millions in funding... Read More »
Lawmakers seek briefing on reported Saudi Arabia’s plan to build nuclear facilities
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking more information on Saudi Arabia’s reported efforts to build “secret nuclear facilities.” The senators say this development threatens to undermine the international nonproliferation regime and U.S.... Read More »
House Health STATISTICS Act introduced to improve COVID-19 data sharing efforts
Despite its far-reaching effects, there remains no standardized reporting of COVID-19-related data within the United States, a fact that prompted the introduction of the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020 to the House last week. The legislation was introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),... Read More »
FDA grants emergency authorization for convalescent plasma as COVID-19 treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 among hospitalized patients this week, determining that its known and potential benefits outweigh any risks. Convalescent plasma is made using the blood of... Read More »
Miami International Airport rolls out new high-tech security checkpoint
The Miami International Airport installed seven computed tomography (CT) scanners at six Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. With these changes, passengers traveling through a lane with a CT scanner will be permitted to leave laptops and other electronic devices in their... Read More »
Reps. Guthrie, Walden release report addressing possible second wave of pandemic
U.S. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Greg Walden (R-OR) finalized a report that provides recommendations for addressing a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The third and final installment of their report – called “Second Wave Preparedness Project” -- focuses on... Read More »
HHS decision to allow COVID-19 tests to market without FDA review provokes Congressional backlash
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week the cancellation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements on premarket reviews for lab-developed tests linked to COVID-19. Pitching the change as one targeting unnecessary policies and increasing flexibility in... Read More »
University of Utah-led study charts first daily surveillance of COVID-19 hotspots in US counties
Every county in the United States was scoured for COVID-19 hotspots in a recent study released by University of Utah geographers, providing localized data to track infection clusters and inform local public health policies. Through space-time statistics, the researchers determined geographic... Read More »
Lawmakers urge Trump administration officials to develop COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) is among 60 Members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to develop a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that prioritizes health equity. The lawmakers are urging Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary, to take a strategic, public... Read More »
Roche to partner with Regeneron on COVID-19 treatment
Roche Pharmaceuticals is teaming up with Regeneron to develop and distribute Regeneron’s COVID-19 investigational antiviral antibody combination. The treatment, known as REGN-COV2, is being developed as a treatment option for people already experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. It also has the... Read More »
KBR to acquire technology firm Centauri
Government and technology professional services and solutions provider KBR said the firm has agreed to acquire the technology firm Centauri. The acquisition via Arlington Capital Partners is for approximately $800 million in cash net of tax benefits. "KBR has undergone a deliberate, strategic... Read More »
Future COVID-19 package cybersecurity funding sought
A group of lawmakers forwarded correspondence this week to congressional leaders, encouraging cybersecurity funding support in the next COVID-19 aid package. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined eight Senate colleagues detailing how cybercriminals have launched campaigns against healthcare... Read More »
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security releases framework for ethical allocation, distribution of COVID-19 vaccines
A new, interim report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security released this week showcases a path to ethical allocation and distribution of an eventual COVID-19 vaccine, meant to help facilitate those early days after it is first authorized for use. The Interim Framework for COVID-19... Read More »
FDA grants emergency use authorization for LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 antigen swab test
In its latest anti-COVID-19 effort, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to LumiraDx UK Ltd’s SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test, a flexible, scalable, low cost antigen test that works directly off of nasal swab specimens. The test is meant for use within the... Read More »
Heritage Foundation report warns of Chinese-made drone proliferation in U.S. markets
In a new report on commercial drones, the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has laid out the expansive penetration of Chinese-manufactured drones into the U.S. market, and has argued for direct government intervention to halt their data collection activities. Labeling these drones... Read More »
CISA releases updated critical workers guidance
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) personnel said the agency has released an updated version of its Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Guidance, which focuses on safety and nationwide operations. Version 4.0 of the document reflects the changing landscape of the... Read More »
DHS S&T requests candidates for non-invasive, COVID-19 temperature screening tech by month’s end
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) issued a call for candidates to submit technologies for a non-invasive febrile temperature screening of COVID-19 to be included in an upcoming market study. All interested vendors, manufacturers, and... Read More »
Bipartisan senators call for $15.5B NIH research funding package in future COVID-19 relief efforts
As Congress continues to discuss future COVID-19 relief legislation, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), along with 24 other senators, called on Senate leadership this week to include $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in any relief package. This, the... Read More »
Sens. Portman, Peters introduce bill to promote production of PPE in US
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced a bill designed to promote the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States. Specifically, the Make PPE in America Act would require the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to issue long-term contracts for... Read More »
Plasma Technologies signs deal with federal government for COVID-19 treatment process
Plasma Technologies of Charleston, S.C., signed an agreement with the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) to develop a process to produce higher-yielding anti-COVID-19 immune serum for scale-up and manufacturing. A higher yield hyperimmune serum would be an... Read More »
Agencies issue UAS detection, mitigation advisory
Four federal agencies have issued an advisory guidance document to aid non-federal public and private entities in understanding federal laws and regulations addressing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations threats. The Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),... Read More »
University of Illinois, Army researchers create protein decoy as potential COVID-19 treatment
Scientists from the University of Illinois and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) have designed and tested a decoy protein capable of tricking SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 -- and could potentially lead to a treatment. Their results,... Read More »