Threats
GAO makes recommendations on infectious disease modeling
A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines how federal agencies use infectious disease modeling to fight outbreaks and what can be done to improve them. The report, titled “Infectious Disease Modeling: Opportunities to Improve Coordination and Ensure... Read More »
Bell forms Team Invictus for project
Bell Textron Inc., has reached agreements with nine aerospace industry firms to form Team Invictus, which will produce the Bell 360 Invictus prototype for the U.S. Army. “Team Invictus is working together to show how cutting-edge technology will give soldiers the ability to confidently operate... Read More »
FDA reveals COVID-19 antibody test kit performance data to public
As part of a validation study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publicly posted test performance data from four antibody test kits this week. This independent performance validation effort is being undertaken alongside the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute... Read More »
CEPI invests $383M for 300 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced it would bring $383 million to a new partnership with AstraZeneca this week to guarantee 300 million globally accessible doses of the company’s AZD1222 vaccine candidate for COVID-19. That vaccine still has to be proven safe... Read More »
Sen. Durbin offers resolution to spur US involvement on COVID-19 response
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is seeking unanimous consent on a resolution that encourages U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response. The resolution is in response to the Trump Administration’s failure to participate in global summits related to the research and... Read More »
START developing tools to identify potential CBRN threats
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is creating a process to identify potential chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats from non-state actors. The project, called Advancing U.S. CWMD/CWMT Capabilities in Support of the... Read More »
IVI, Bharat Biotech consortium net up to $14.1M from CEPI to develop Chikungunya vaccine
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has partnered with Bharat Biotech (BBIL) and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to develop a Chikungunya vaccine, providing as much as $14.1 million for manufacturing and clinical development. On the line is a two-dose,... Read More »
BARDA, Evidation Health process wearable device data in search for COVID-19 early warning algorithm
First responders and healthcare workers stand to benefit from a new partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Evidation Health, which are sifting through data from wearable devices to create an early warning algorithm for COVID-19 symptoms. This... Read More »
Unapproved COVID-19 treatment capsules, tests seized
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials said Baltimore special agents seized over 14,000 unapproved COVID-19 capsules and several COVID-19 test kits via Operation Stolen Promise. Operation Stolen Promise is a national operation that includes... Read More »
DoD targets increased ventilator, respirator production
Hollingsworth & Vose has secured a $2.2 million Department of Defense (DoD) contract to increase domestic ventilator and respirator production. The effort involves producing 27.5 million N95 filters, and 3.1 million N95 respirators per monthly, beginning in August. The endeavor is in support of... Read More »
Texas A&M researchers developing device to identify antibodies to fight COVID-19
Scientists and engineers at Texas A&M University are developing a device that can rapidly identify antibodies that can neutralize infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. "The difficulty of developing therapeutics and vaccines against emerging viral threats can also be obviously... Read More »
BARDA to work with Quidel on COVID-19 test
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is working with Quidel Corp. to develop to detect COVID-19 and three additional respiratory viruses. The two will work together to develop a rapid multi-analyte diagnostic test for use on the Sofia 2 assay system to detect the... Read More »
HHS ASPR offers additional $250M to bolster US healthcare systems’ COVID-19 response
As authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS ASPR) has released an additional $250 million for aid health care systems treating COVID-19... Read More »
BARDA partners with Siemens Healthineers on COVID-19 automated total antibody test
The latest addition to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (BARDA) COVID-19 countermeasure portfolio is an automated total antibody test being developed in partnership with Siemens Healthineers. The serological, lab-based test proposes to detect two items in human... Read More »
Pentagon initiates COVID-19 screening initiative
Pentagon officials said FLIR Systems has installed its EST screening system at the Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., to screen visitors for potential COVID-19 symptoms. “For more than 40 years, FLIR has provided advanced thermal imaging technology to America’s military — on its aircraft,... Read More »
Rep. Lynch meets with FBI, CISA and DOJ to examine cybersecurity during pandemic
U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) met with officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to examine cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The attacks have been targeting federal... Read More »
Reps. DeGette, Bucshon introduce bills to boost COVID-19 testing
U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN) introduced two bills designed to boost COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Together, the two pieces of legislation would provide $750 million of grants for public health laboratories, hospitals, and other health providers. “In order to save... Read More »
BARDA, Genentech to accelerate phase 2 clinical trial for two investigational COVID-19 treatments
A partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and biotechnology company Genentech will yield a phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate two investigational drugs for the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases: anti-ST2 and IL-22-Fc. The drugs will be tested on... Read More »
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, NTI criticize Trump administration decision to withdraw from WHO
In separate statements released this week, both the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense and the nonpartisan, nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) expressed concern with the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). “Terminating the U.S.... Read More »
International community joins WHO in supporting open COVID-19 research, science
More than 30 countries and international partners/institutions have rallied behind the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), a new initiative from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Costa Rica designed to make scientific tools to fight COVID-19 universally available. The show of unity... Read More »
CISA unveils initial cyber toolkit
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said the initial launch of six Cyber Essentials Toolkits provides small businesses and government agencies with a foundational means of addressing cybersecurity risks. “We thank all of our partners in government and the private... Read More »
Sen. Peters introduces bill requiring agencies to share COVID-19 testing inventory
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) introduce legislation directing federal agencies to share real-time information about testing supply inventory and shortages publicly. Hospitals, health care systems, nursing homes, and first responders have struggled to obtain tests and other critical supplies... Read More »
Chimeron Bio and George Mason University team up to develop COVID-19 vaccine
Chimeron Bio and George Mason University's National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases (NCBID) are teaming up to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine development will be based on Chimeron Bio's ChaESARTM self-amplifying RNA technology. Plus, it will integrate Mason's complimenting... Read More »
HHS adds $628M to contract with Emergent BioSolutions in effort to ramp up COVID-19 vaccine production
Operation Warp Speed, the White House-created program to speed up COVID-19 vaccine candidate development and manufacturing domestically, will benefit from a $628 million expansion of an existing public-private partnership with Emergent BioSolutions Inc., the U.S. Department of Health and Human... Read More »
DTRA, DIU award $4.6M to PercuSense for development of early detection system for toxic chemical exposure
Under a $4.6 million contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Defense Innovation United (DIU), PercuSense has been tapped to develop a continuous biosensor system for early detection of potential toxic chemical exposure among soldiers and first responders. PercuSense, a... Read More »
Roche announces phase 3 trial for mix of Actemra/RoActemra with remdesivir on hospitalized COVID-19 patients
A phase 3 clinical trial that will utilize a mix of Actemra/RoActemra and remdesivir on hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia is expected to begin in June, as part of a collaboration between Roche and Gilead Sciences, Inc. That trial, REMDACTA, will be double-blind, randomized,... Read More »
GSK to manufacture 1 billion doses of pandemic vaccine adjuvant system
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said it will manufacture 1 billion doses of its pandemic vaccine adjuvant system in 2021 to support the development of multiple adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The pharmaceutical company says its pandemic adjuvant technology could make a significant contribution... Read More »
Bipartisan bill would help better detect, contain overseas pandemics
U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) last week introduced legislation designed to better detect and contain infectious disease outbreaks overseas before they become global pandemics. The Global Health Security and Diplomacy Act (GHSDA) requires the president to... Read More »
Senators advise Trump on nuclear arms deals
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and John Cornyn (R-TX) are urging President Donald Trump to avoid nuclear arms control treaties that put constraints on the United States while allowing adversaries to build up their nuclear arsenals. “You and your administration have long... Read More »
Rep. Axne tracks more than $9B in COVID-19 response efforts in Iowa with new data tool
Following a response to her request of state and federal agencies to provide a detailed account of COVID-19 response efforts, U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne’s (D-IA) has launched a data tracker to provide accountability in the system. Announcing her efforts as a matter of transparency, Axne has now... Read More »
FDA offers SARS-CoV-2 reference panel to better ensure COVID-19 test quality
A new reference panel being offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes an additional, independent validation step to guarantee the quality of COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Since COVID-19 reached U.S. shores earlier this year, many tests have arisen to detect its viral cause:... Read More »
Survey examines COVID-19 vaccine expectations
Recent findings from a NORC at the University of Chicago study have determined if a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, 49 percent of respondents said they plan to get vaccinated. The nationwide poll was conducted May 14-18, 2020, via the AmeriSpeak Panel - the probability-based panel of NORC at... Read More »
CBP seizes more than $2.4M worth of alleged methamphetamine
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said Office of Field Operations (OFO) personnel at the Hidalgo International Bridge seized $2,446,000 worth of alleged methamphetamine concealed within a vehicle. On May 23, an officer encountered a brown 1999 Ford F150 pickup driven by a 20-year-old... Read More »
Council of Europe cautions on the need for coordinated response to bioterrorism
The Council of Europe Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT) issued a statement on the importance of a coordinated response to bioterrorism. The committee said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of modern societies to viral infections. The intentional use of a pathogen or... Read More »