New Government Funding Opportunities for Medical Research and Development - EverGlade Consulting

New Government Funding Opportunities for Medical Research and Development

Government Funding Opportunities in Medical manufacturing

With the government fiscal year ending in a few short weeks and Covid continuing to impact the country, new government funding opportunities are plentiful for organizations supporting both the pandemic response and other areas of interest in the new Senate appropriations bill which will head for a vote by September 30, 2022.

One of the most prominent questions for those in Washington remains how to respond to the ongoing pandemic. Senate Democrats unveiled their version of the Department of Health and Human Services appropriations bill, which included $16,000,000,000 in emergency funding for the development and procurement of diagnostics, warm base manufacturing, next generation technology development and funding for COVID-19. $9,000,000,000 will be directed to BARDA for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. According to the Committee, this funding will be allocated towards the procurement of additional vaccines, as well as the diversification of the nation’s therapeutic portfolio. This will function as a safeguard for future virus surges, or the emergence of a more deadly Covid variant.

The funding can also be used to support domestic research and development, as well as manufacturing, improving access to treatments that are more effective against the latest coronavirus variants. At least $750,000,000 is provided for research and clinical trials for vaccines focused on emerging coronavirus strains and to support domestic manufacturing capacity. The funding can also be used for the development of a next-generation pan-COVID vaccine that offers broader protection than current vaccines, replacing our need to develop a new vaccine for each new variant.

Senator Murray stated,

“This flexible funding will allow the department to procure additional vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and develop next-generation vaccines that can finally bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end. It will ensure that the country will not suffer a catastrophic setback in the face of future virus surges or the emergence of a new, more deadly six variant. The funding can also be used for any emerging disease with potential for creating a pandemic.”

8 Key Areas for New Government Funding Opportunities

1. Domestic Diagnostic Manufacturing

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for warm-base manufacturing for U.S. diagnostic companies. The Committee encourages ASPR to pursue public-private partnerships with U.S. diagnostic manufacturers to invest in warm-base manufacturing of over-the-counter tests for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and public health surveillance.

The Committee urges BARDA to continue investments in promising new medical technologies to secure the next generation of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics to prepare the country to respond more quickly and effectively to current and future pathogens of pandemic potential. BARDA is urged to support a variety of vaccine platforms that improve vaccine immunogenicity, durability, tolerability, as well as thermostability, storage, and transport.

3. Strengthening Domestic Medical Manufacturing and Production

Concerns remain about the Nation’s limited infrastructure to produce essential products such as medical devices, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and personal protective equipment [PPE]. Weaknesses in the supply chain and the dependence on other countries continues to impact the availability of products and in some cases, limits care. The Committee recognizes the importance of domestic manufacturing and raw materials and urges HHS to undertake efforts to ensure a long-term sustainable domestic supply chain for medical products.

4. Infectious Diseases

The Committee supports robust funding for increased work by BARDA in the infectious disease space to prepare for emerging infectious disease outbreaks and other naturally occurring threats to global health security. The Committee encourages BARDA to account for the constraints of different settings in its funding decisions to foster first-line tools that have wide applicability for many geographies, including low-resource settings in the U.S. and globally which may lack advanced health infrastructure. The Committee encourages ASPR to continue reporting and delineating its spending on emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza, and AMR in its annual 5-year budget plan for medical countermeasure [MCM] development.

5. Infectious Disease Outbreaks with Pandemic Potential

The Committee encourages BARDA to engage in public-private partnerships to support advanced research and development of innovative platform technologies and MCM programs focused on (but not limited to) vaccines, therapeutics, and other MCMs for emerging infectious diseases, including novel pathogens and viral families with pandemic potential. The Committee encourages ASPR to collaborate with the heads of other appropriate Federal departments, agencies, and offices, the private sector, and other stakeholders to identify of promising MCMs and platform technologies that can be leveraged to address a range of potential pathogens, including virus families with significant pandemic potential. The Committee directs BARDA to prioritize expeditious development of such MCMs and innovative platform technologies.

6. Medical Distribution Supply Chain Task Force

The Committee recognizes the importance of public-private partnerships in COVID response efforts. The Committee recommends establishing a task force where government agencies and distribution experts can proactively prepare for the next public health emergency. The task force would allow for pharmaceutical and medical distributors to participate in ongoing emergency preparedness planning and maintain relationships with government agencies; conduct tabletop exercises, emergency response planning; and report their work and findings to Congress.

7. Re-Envisioning the SNS

The Committee recognizes that efforts are underway to review and propose a path forward for the SNS, as directed by Public Law 117–103, and awaits the release of these plans.

8. Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Resistance Research

With antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance becoming a key aspect of life sciences research, the appropriation committee has allocated no less that $565,000,000 to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to investigate the mechanisms of resistance, therapeutics, and vaccines. Additionally, the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (NCEZID) has been allocated $793,772,000, where $212,000,000 will be allocated towards an antibiotic resistance initiative.

Which of these Government Funding Opportunities are you interested in learning more about? Let us know in the comments.

Collaborate With Everglade Consulting

EverGlade Consulting is a national consulting firm connecting public sector needs with private sector solutions. We offer services ranging from Pursuit, Proposal, and Post-Award support to comply with federal regulations at agencies including BARDA, ASPR, NIH, DTRA, JPEO, DOD, DOE, and DARPA.

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