Medical Countermeasures and Security
Kendall Hoyt · 2014
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began to stockpile items in 1999 as part of an Health and Human Services (HHS) Bioterrorism Initiative to build public health preparedness for biological and chemical attacks on US soil. This stockpile is designed to provide therapeutics, vaccines, and medical equipment anywhere in the United States within 12 hours of a request. The majority of biodefense R&D is scattered among a collection of programs within HHS and the Department of Defense. In an effort to bridge the valley of death, Congress passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act in 2006. This legislation created the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to provide managerial oversight and financial support with milestone grants for mid- and late-stage medical countermeasures development activities. Milestone grants allowed BARDA to award up to 50% of the final contract when companies achieve prespecified development objectives.