From labs to legislation: The interplay between academic research and political realities
Saumya Gopalkrishnan · SLAS DISCOVERY · 2024
Pandemics exact substantial human and economic tolls on society. Considering the interconnectedness of our global society, the recurrence of another viral pandemic appears virtually inevitable. In 2021, during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration implemented a multifaceted approach to combat the spread of disease, including vaccine distribution, issuing public health guidance, testing, and tracing, providing economic relief, and investing in research and development. To this latter end, $3.2 billion was allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act [1] to inaugurate the Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP) [2] under the aegis of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).