U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BAR Archives

Visby Medical triggers $25.5M contract option with BARDA to develop at-home COVID-19/flu test

Visby Medical announced today that it picked up $25.5 million in government funding to develop an at-home flu/COVID-19 diagnostic.

San Jose, California-based Visby executed an option in a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to pick up an additional $25.5 in funding for the development and validation of the at-home combination test. The incremental funding follows the initial contract awarded in February 2021.

According to a news release, Visby designed its developmental-stage flu-COVID-19 PCR test as a single-use, handheld, all-in-one device for detecting and distinguishing between influenza A, influenza B and SARS-CoV-2 all in one sample. It delivers results in less than 30 minutes and requires no additional equipment.

“We are honored by BARDA’s confidence in our team’s ability to develop this test and bring it to market, and we’re excited to be a part of the solution to keep kids in s…

New BD syringe manufacturing lines are up and running in Nebraska

BD (NYSE:BDX) announced today that it increased its manufacturing capacity and domestic supply for syringes and needles.

Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based BD’s new syringe and needle manufacturing lines, which were completed on an accelerated timeline, represent BD’s partnership with Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News.

HHS wants investors to help prevent next pandemic

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is turning to venture capital to speed the development of medical devices to stave off or fight public health emergencies.

HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) plans to provide the nonprofit Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC) with a minimum of $50 million over five years, with potential for up to $500 million over 10 years. GHIC will start a global health security fund with matching capital from other investors to identify, nurture and commercialize breakthrough technologies to aid the U.S. in responding effectively to future health security threats, according to HHS.

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics wins nearly $53.7M BARDA contract for COVID-19 tests

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (NSDQ:OCDX) announced that it received a $53.7 million government contract for its COVID-19 tests.

Raritan, N.J.–based Ortho Clinical Diagnostics was awarded an undefinitized contract set to lead to a $53.7 million contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) as a continuation of the partnership between the two entities, according to a news release.

In September 2020, BARDA awarded Ortho Clinical Diagnostics nearly $12.9 million to support its COVID-19 antigen test development.

The latest BARDA contract is set to support a more than three-fold increase in domestic production capabilities for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics’ serological and diagnostic testing solutions, the company said.

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics is now set to receive enough funding to expand its capacity to provide up to 6.7 million COVID-19 tests per month for the U.S. market by the second quarter of 2022. The expan…

Feds order 200M more vaccine doses from Pfizer, Moderna

[Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash]U.S. government agencies announced that they purchased a total of 200 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA).

The orders of 100 million doses from each of the only two FDA-authorized vaccines in the U.S. were made by the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept. (HHS) and the Defense Dept. (DoD). The U.S. has now purchased a total of 600 million doses, according to a news release, with the totals of the two-dose vaccines allowing for the vaccination of 300 million people.

Each company is set to deliver 300 million doses in regular increments through the end of July 2021 while leveraging U.S.-based manufacturing capacity to produce in bulk.

“As the President directed, we are expanding our supply of COVID vaccines to protect people as quickly as possible,” Acting HHS Secretary Norris Cochran said in the release. “These purchases will allow us to accelerate our vaccination …

MedTech 100 roundup: Ringing in the New Year with another high

For the third time in the past four weeks, stocks within the medtech industry climbed to never-before-seen heights as 2021 reared its head.

Previous highs have largely been a result of the FDA granting Moderna emergency use authorization for its vaccine candidate and its subsequent rollout to the U.S., joining the one made by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX), which began to be administered last month.

With the industry plugging along, MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — finished last week at 104.67 (Jan. 1), marking its highest-ever total and a 1% uptick from the 103.63 points registered at the end of the week prior (Dec. 25, 2020).

A slight downturn came after the index hit a new high (100.75) on Dec. 4, 2020, beating the mark of 100.65 set on Nov. 9 and setting a new all-time high since the index started being recorded on Jan. 1, 2001. However, stocks have continued to rise …

These researchers adapted a stroke patient device for COVID-19

Designed to detect speech and swallowing problems, the device has found a new use in tracking cough frequency to alert healthcare providers that frontline workers may need to be tested for SARS-COV-2.

(Image courtesy of Northwestern University)

Researchers in Chicago have adapted a flexible patch they developed to monitor stroke patients for swallowing trouble to help detect symptoms of COVID-19.

They’re hoping it can help physicians decide whether frontline healthcare workers have developed symptoms of the novel coronavirus so they can prevent the illness from worsening. In their “Lost on the Frontline” series, Kaiser Health News and The Guardian have reported 922 U.S. healthcare worker deaths that likely stemmed from caring for COVID-19 patients.

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Merck, IAVI work to develop COVID-19 vaccine

Merck (NYSE:MRK) and IAVI announced today that they are collaborating to develop an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 for preventing COVID-19.

The vaccine candidate is slated to use the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) technology used as the basis for Merck’s Ervebo Ebola Zaire virus vaccine, which was the first such vaccine to be approved for use in humans, according to a news release. Merck also signed an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, to provide funding for the collaboration.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

Phlow lands $354m government contract for COVID-19 medications

Phlow announced today that it received $354 million in U.S. government funding to manufacture essential medicines at risk of shortage, including those involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Richmond, Va.-based Phlow’s manufacturing is being funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.