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In order to expand the number of providers able to administer vaccines against monkeypox, smallpox, and other orthopoxviruses, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week amended its declaration of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act.
HHS Secretary... Read More »
In a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D. last month, 12 members of Congress pressed the regulator to guarantee a variety of therapeutics to ready the nation for further COVID-19 variants.
“We urge the FDA to ensure that the availability of... Read More »
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials have detailed results of a May to September 2022 enforcement operation the agency said yielded nationwide fentanyl seizures.
In conjunction with the One Pill Can Kill initiative, the DEA and law enforcement partners seized more than 10.2 million... Read More »
After the Category 1 Hurricane Fiona slammed Puerto Rico, the devastation led to President Joe Biden declaring a disaster across the island this week, followed shortly by a Public Health Emergency from Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra due to flooding.
Even as Federal Emergency... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded AmerisourceBergen a $19.8 million contract to improve the delivery of monkeypox vaccines and treatments.
AmerisourceBergen was specifically tasked with expanding distribution capacity and weekly shipments. The company will... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced a new partnership with Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. this week, which seeks to create a self-amplifying messenger RNA (samRNA) vaccine for use against pandemic influenza.
This, the partners believe, would allow... Read More »
Turning to the public, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) released a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) this week to gather input on an idea for a new Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle meant to be the guiding model for health security acquisitions.
Its development could... Read More »
With signature from President Joe Biden, the TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act became law last week, authorizing $270 million over five years to continue the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) and to fund a new police training program.
The legislation seeks to... Read More »
During some COVID-19 surges, U.S. hospitals were hampered in terms of staff, supplies, or space to care for patients that exceeded their normal operating capacity, though health care coalitions helped fill some gaps.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a review of eight... Read More »
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) recently convened a roundtable in Janesville, Wis., to address the fight against fentanyl.
The effort focused on Rock County and targeted methods the federal government could aid in keeping Wisconsin communities safe.
The session involved leaders from the Rock County... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing American struggle with opioids in general and fentanyl in particular, United States Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) and other stakeholders in his state to address the larger issue of addiction and overdose.
Last... Read More »
Writing to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgrim this week, a group of Republican senators requested details on the agency’s moves to crack down on illegal narcotics and their suppliers.
Citing the ongoing opioid crisis that, as of Feb. 9, 2022, led to more than... Read More »
A Republican group of senators recently introduced a bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to complete a comprehensive southern border strategy within 12 months of enactment.
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and James... Read More »
The newly introduced Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act seeks to bolster efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detect and seize illicit drugs, including through the development of a plan for stronger public-private partnerships.
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and... Read More »
National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) authorities recently detailed collaboration with 94 Interpol member countries resulting in 7,800 illicit medication seizures totaling $11 million.
Operation Pangea XV was conducted from June 23-30. The scope of work included... Read More »
States and jurisdictions will begin receiving another 144,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic JYNNEOS vaccine from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) this week as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pivots to focus more heavily on monkeypox.
As of July 8, the Centers for... Read More »
Responding to the more than 450 cases of monkeypox reported in the United States as of July 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered another 2.5 million doses of Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS vaccine for smallpox and monkeypox.
The case count held at 459 at the end of... Read More »
Struggling to contain a national opioid epidemic, the United States Justice Department (DOJ) Criminal Division this week gathered various law enforcement operations together under the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force.
The strike force represents a renewed focus on unlawful... Read More »
Public health policy organization Trust for America’s Health and the nonprofit collective known as the Coalition for Health Funding assembled expert panelists and public health officials last week to discuss public health funding in the post-COVID landscape.
While COVID-19’s effects are... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently detailed an agreement to purchase 105 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for a fall vaccination campaign.
HHS collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense on the $3.2 billion contract that includes a combination of... Read More »
The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) recently led an investigation that led to the indictment of 20 Mexican nationals among 39 defendants for narcotics trafficking.
The individuals had roles in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22... Read More »
As Congress contemplates the best approach to tackling the problem of overdose deaths, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced last week the Fighting Emerging Narcotics Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting (FENTANYL) Results Act (S.B. 1160).
The FENTANYL Results Act, the... Read More »
Moderna, Inc. revealed clinical data on its Omicron-containing bivalent COVID booster candidate, mRNA-1273.214, this week, showing that one-month post-administration, a 50 µg dose of the booster provided a superior neutralizing antibody response compared to its predecessor... Read More »
After considering data from a Phase 3 clinical trial of approximately 30,000 participants, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) unanimously voted to recommend the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine gain Emergency Use Authorization... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced plans to launch a competition seeking to advance incident command dashboard technologies aiding emergency response.
The Command Dashboard Integrating Next-Gen or CommanDING, Tech Challenge would unite... Read More »
Following a World Health Organization (WHO) global research consultation, more than 500 experts emphasized that expedited studies, strengthened collaboration from researchers in endemic countries, public health responses, and new clinical studies are needed to address monkeypox.
Monkeypox has... Read More »
Amid some nervousness over a monkeypox outbreak this year, Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that it has a new supply contract for its smallpox vaccine meant to help those at risk of monkeypox in the short or medium term.
The country to benefit from that contract remains unidentified at this time.... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) recently applauded the House Committee on Homeland Security for advancing the PREVENT Act, legislation he introduced to protect drug handling Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel.
“As the crisis at the southern border continues to spiral out of control, so... Read More »
Beginning with $20 million this year, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will commit up to $300 million to support antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infection research conducted through the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) over... Read More »
Through awards amounting to approximately $577 million, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is working to create nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern, working to develop innovative drugs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has... Read More »
At the second Global COVID-19 Summit last week, governments, including the United States, pledged to provide $3.2 billion in additional funds for COVID-19 and other pandemic preparedness needs and committed to expanding and accelerating testing and vaccine access.
This year’s summit was led by... Read More »
In a push to bolster COVID-19 diagnostic testing, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $79.9 million contract to Premix, Inc. this week, funding new onshore production capacity for plastic resin used in tests’ pipette tips.
This will boost future supply chain demands and other... Read More »
New Mexico wildfires have resulted in Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declaring a public health emergency in the state.
“We are working closely with health authorities in New Mexico and monitoring the needs of healthcare facilities to support their efforts to save... Read More »
While adding Paxlovid – nirmatrelvir and ritonavir – to its list of recommended treatments for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at risk of hospital admission, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that lack of price transparency at Pfizer Inc. and testing demands before administration... Read More »
President Joe Biden has forwarded to Congress his administration's first National Drug Control Strategy, which is an initiative focused on a whole-of-government approach to address the overdose epidemic.
“This Strategy goes after two big drivers of the opioid epidemic: untreated addiction and... Read More »
