Recent News

By Category: Countermeasures

GAO Urges Focus on Local, State Capabilities in Biothreat Detection Plan

(GSN Daily News) A U.S. biological threat detection strategy now being prepared should aim to better coordinate relevant activities by state and local governments, the Government Accountability Office said in a report published on Tuesday (see GSN, Oct. 20). Representatives of states and local jurisdictions described four categories of key federal health readiness support they Read More »

November 3, 2011
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, and Countermeasures
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Educating the life scientists

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) There are increasing signs that state parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) realize that the lack of biosecurity awareness and education among life scientists represents a serious gap in the overall web of policies designed to prevent bioterrorism and biowarfare. Without such awareness and education, how can practicing life Read More »

November 2, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Biotechnology, Countermeasures, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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PharmAthene Progresses Second Generation rPA Anthrax Vaccine

(Sacramento Bee) PharmAthene, Inc. announced today further development progress of its second generation rPA anthrax vaccine, SparVax™. The new vaccine is being developed to provide rapid manufacturing scale-up to respond to a national security emergency. The Company completed its first cGMP manufacturing run at 1,500 liter commercial scale. Final analytical testing is ongoing and expected Read More »

November 1, 2011
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Research
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Key To Anthrax Defense Could Be Natural Killer Cells

(Medical News Today) One of the things that makes inhalational anthrax so worrisome for biodefense experts is how quickly a relatively small number of inhaled anthrax spores can turn into a lethal infection…

November 1, 2011
| Filed under Agents & Toxins, Countermeasures, and Research
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Auditors See Shortcomings in U.S. Biodefense Drug Planning

(GSN Daily News) The U.S. Health and Human Services has failed to produce anticipated revisions to a 4-year-old plan on the preparation of medical products for responding to a biological strike by extremists, congressional auditors said in an assessment published last week (see GSN, Oct. 26). The Government Accountability Office said the department had yet Read More »