Public Health
Opioids have remained a major focus for Congress in recent years, given the scope of their spread across the United States, and this came to a head once more this week with the House’s passage of the TRANQ Research Act (H.R.1734), which now heads to President Joe Biden.
If approved, the bill... Read More »
In letters to Congressional leadership last week, groups including the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Association of Police Officers (NAPO), and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) called for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)’s FEND Off Fentanyl Act (S. 1271) to be... Read More »
While the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act has made it into the National Defense bill, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) this week publicly pressed for its enactment and called on the Biden administration for more resources to counter illicit drugs.
FEND Off... Read More »
Valneva SE won approval for the world’s first Chikungunya vaccine – IXCHIQ – last week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It is a major milestone for a viral disease that has plagued humanity for decades, thanks to the bites of mosquito carriers. Although originally found... Read More »
According to an updated approach released last week by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains focused on the opioid epidemic while reckoning with an ever-changing landscape.
CBP planted its focus firmly around four areas:
... Read More »
With more than 300 proposed amendments in hand, the Working Group of Amendments to the IHR undertook a fifth round of discussions over International Health Regulations 2005 last week, setting up a path to a consolidated proposal and further discussions.
Proposed amendments considered by the... Read More »
Through Project NextGen, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded more than $1.4 billion this week to support development of new tools, technologies and trials of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19.
Of these funds, the bulk – $1 billion – went to vaccine clinical... Read More »
While lab-based testing has advanced in many ways over the years, sample preservation still relies on refrigerated transport that can cause challenges in remote environments, and this month Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a new program to solicit alternatives.
At... Read More »
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a group of five senators raised alarms over illicit trafficking of tobacco products, denouncing them as threats to public health and a significant source of revenue for transnational criminal organizations.
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D.... Read More »
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chris Coons (D-DE) recently introduced legislation equipping law enforcement officers with trauma kits to respond if a civilian or officer experiences traumatic injury.
The American Law Enforcement Sustaining Aid... Read More »
Under the newly introduced Rolling Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Drug act, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) last week proposed fighting drug shortages with increased domestic supplies of critical medications.
The bill would front and center... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s (R-FL) initiative seeking to reduce American dependence on Chinese production of heparin has been adopted into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The action was advanced by the House of Representatives. It encourages private capital to drive domestic... Read More »
Coast Guard officials have detailed Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast's 70-day counternarcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
The crew crew recently returned to its homeport in Astoria, Ore., after disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics on three separate occasions during the patrol, preventing a... Read More »
The results of six competitive preparedness grant programs under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came in last week, resulting in $605 million to aid state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector ready for terrorism and natural... Read More »
A database could help identify and address vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain, according to a new bill proposed in the Senate last week – the Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply Act (MAPS), allowing greater preparedness for public health threats overall.
The... Read More »
A pair of bills introduced by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) this week would authorize the federal government to investigate the health impacts of nuclear weapons and promote safe design and mass-production of genetic material through artificial gene synthesis.... Read More »
In a vote from the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, U.S. Rep. Bob Latta’s (R-OH) Helping Evaluate Appropriate Logistical Infrastructure for National Government (HEALING) Response Act (H.R. 3703) was cleared as part of a broader reauthorization legislation.
Latta’s bill, as... Read More »
A new connection announced between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) will spur development of a common language and registry of medical product regulatory information globally.
The... Read More »
In a joint statement, Colorado field offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), together with state law enforcement, this week warned people to use only prescription medications as the fentanyl poisonings surge.
According to the DEA, fentanyl... Read More »
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has indicated Keene, New Hampshire-based Cheshire Medical Center (CMC) will pay $2 million to resolve an alleged Controlled Substances Act (CSA) violation.
“Cheshire Medical Center’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the Controlled Substance Act... Read More »
As the next phase of its campaign to target and block illicit fentanyl from entering the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week announced two new operations, Artemis and Rolling Wave.
These operations will dispatch multi-disciplined, interagency jump teams to... Read More »
With reintroduction of the federal Stop Pills that Kill Act this week, U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Lou Correa (D-CA), Ken Buck (R-CO) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ) seek to institute new penalties for counterfeit pill production.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a single kilogram of... Read More »
Despite significant concerns in the lead up to lifting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Title 42 public health order in May, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that unlawful entries between ports of entry have fallen more than 70 percent... Read More »
Congressional lawmakers who have called for a ban by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on imported flavored disposable e-cigarettes from China and other countries hope they’re getting closer to having their request met.
There’s been recent activity at the FDA, which has issued... Read More »
In a bid to extend authorization of and funding for a program supporting state-developed stockpiles of critical drugs, vaccines and other medical supplies, U.S. Reps. Early Carter (R-GA) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced the State Strategic Stockpile Act (H.R. 3631) last week.
Such... Read More »
A group of legislators are espousing the benefits of legislation that would bolster rural access to emergency air medical services critical to saving lives.
U.S. Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) recently joined U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to... Read More »
Through reintroduction of the VA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement Act, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) seek to spur better training for staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tasked with handling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have commended San Diego Field Office personnel for seizing $7.8 million worth of dangerous drugs in the week leading up to Memorial Day.
“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise and our officers will relentlessly continue doing everything... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) are commending House of Representatives colleagues after approving their legislation addressing the permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogues.
The lawmakers noted the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act would permanently... Read More »
Under a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) launched last week, the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) announced efforts to strengthen outbreak response among decision makers through creation of a disease forecasting network.
CFA is a part of the Centers for Disease Control... Read More »
Fearing the proliferation of illicit versions of the drug xylazine – or tranq – and its effects on the U.S. public, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) wrote to Congressional leaders last week urging passage of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R. 1839).
The legislation... Read More »
The Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act (S.1464) advanced to the Senate floor last week, after approval from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired its author, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Together with co-author U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Peters created a... Read More »
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) urged the Department of State to take steps to hold China accountable for the precursor chemicals used by Mexican drug cartels in the manufacture of synthetic opioids.
The pair proposed... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Andy Barr (R-KY) and Zach Nunn (R-IA) recently introduced the Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act, which targets money laundering within the fentanyl trafficking trade.
“We cannot allow foreign drug manufacturers, money launderers, and... Read More »
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking methods to bolster portable drug detection system capabilities.
DHS personnel indicated the agency is collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to... Read More »
