This week is another mixed bag, covering suspected schoolgirl poisonings in Afghanistan, the introduction of the Disease X Act of 2023 in the US House of Representatives, and growing concern about generic drug safety in the Department of Defense. Several new publications, upcoming events, and announcements are also included.
Suspected Schoolgirl Poisonings in Afghanistan
Multiple poisonings of primary schoolgirls were reported this week in Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Pul province. The Guardian reports that nearly 80 girls were attacked and hospitalized in two separate incidents in the northern province, according to local education officials. According to CBS, “The first incident took place Saturday, when 63 people, including three female teachers, one male teacher, another school staffer and a parent of one student “were poisoned at Kabud Aab school” for girls, according to Mawlavi Sadruddin Adib Faroogi, the Sancharak district education director, who was quoted in the statement released by the governor’s office…In the second incident, which happened Sunday in the same district, the statement said 22 female students and four female teachers were poisoned at Faizabad school.”
This is not the first time Afghan schoolgirls have been deliberately poisoned, with the Taliban previously having been accused of conducting numerous similar attacks. For example, the Taliban was blamed for several attacks in multiple provinces in 2012. However, this is thought to be the first of this kind of attack since the Taliban took power in the country in August 2021.
CBS’ Ahmad Mukhtar explains, “Sodaba Bayani, an Afghan education and women’s rights activist, told CBS News she believed the Taliban authorities were “using chemicals to scare people off, and somehow prevent parents from letting their girls attend school, as this has occurred in Iran so many times.”‘
Disease X Act of 2023 Introduced
A bipartisan group of US representatives recently introduced the Disease X Act of 2023, which aims to ensure that the country is able to prepare for and rapidly develop medical countermeasures for future pandemics. This legislation would “Direct BARDA to accelerate and support the advanced research, development, and procurement of countermeasures and products to address Disease X threats,” and “Allow HHS to award contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, or enter into other transactions, to promote the development of Disease X medical countermeasures for viral families with pandemic potential.”
Rep. Lori Trahan’s office explained in a press release about the bill “In addition to bipartisan support in Congress, the Disease X Act of 2023 is supported by leaders and experts in academia, industry, and think tanks, including Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Infectious Diseases Society of America, CEPI U.S., Dr. Caroline Schuerger, Research Fellow, Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Dr. Steph Batalis, Research Fellow, Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Ginkgo Bioworks, Institute for Progress (IFP), Big Cities Health Coalition, FluGen Inc., US Biologic, Inc., Vir Biotechnology, The Gerontological Society of America, Global Health Technologies Coalition, Helix, New Orleans BioInnovation Center, Medical Countermeasures Coalition, 1Day Sooner, and Dr. Gregory D. Koblentz, Director, Biodefense Graduate Program, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University.”
A summary of the bill and relevant background is also available here.
Department of Defense Concerned About Quality of Generic Drugs
Bloomberg News reported this week that the Department of Defense is in talks with Valisure, an independent lab, to test the safety and quality of generic drugs purchased by the Department for servicemembers and their families. Bloomberg explains further: “The move raises questions about the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to adequately police generic medicines. With mounting drug shortages, most of which are caused by quality problems, military officials have gone so far as to call vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain a national security threat.”
“The FDA is responsible for ensuring that America’s drugs are safe, but it’s gotten harder for the agency to police quality because generic drugmakers have shifted operations to India and China where costs are lower and the US has little oversight. The Pentagon’s proposed program isn’t currently targeting the expensive, brand-name drugs advertised on TV, but rather the older copycat drugs that make up more than 9 out of 10 prescription medications that Americans take.”
“Aware of growing quality problems, the White House has convened a task force that’s exploring whether testing could be expanded more broadly in the US. If the Pentagon pilot is successful, it could serve as a model for Medicare or the Department of Veterans Affairs, people familiar with the matter said. But there are tensions in Washington: In conversations with the White House, the FDA has pushed back against additional quality checks, questioning the accuracy of third-party labs like Valisure.”
This comes after years of concerns about the safety and stability of the United States’ drug supply, such as those outlined in the 2018 book, China Rx, by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh. The US Congress passed the Drug Quality and Security Act in November 2013. At the time, the FDA said of the act “…[it] outlines steps to achieve interoperable, electronic tracing of products at the package level to identify and trace certain prescription drugs as they are distributed in the United States. This will enhance FDA’s ability to help protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful. These requirements will also improve detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers.”
“Chinese Media Is Wrong, US Funded Lab in Kazakhstan Is to Prevent Bioterrorism”
This piece by Polygraph.info’s Lin Yang tackles ongoing Chinese allegations that the US is creating in Central Asia pathogens for use in bioterrorist attacks. Yang writes in part, “On May 26, China’s state-run Global Times newspaper claimed that the U.S. is investing in building biological weapons in Central Asia:
“Funded by the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Central Reference Laboratory near Almaty, Kazakhstan’s most populous metropolis, is researching lethal pathogens that could be used in bio-terrorist attacks like plague and cholera, according to media reports.”
“That is misleading…This is a recurring conspiracy theory, pushed by Russia and China, about U.S. funding of biological research facilities around the world. While the Central Reference Laboratory in Kazakhstan does conduct research on lethal pathogens, its mission is to prevent these dangerous pathogens from being used as biological weapons or becoming the next pandemic, exactly the opposite of what the Global Times claimed.”
This has coincided with pushback in Chinese state media against the BBC’s late May article-“Covid: Top Chinese scientist says don’t rule out lab leak“-that said the former director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. George Gao, told the BBC not to rule out the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a laboratory. China Daily recently published an article on this, reporting “However, when guancha.cn sought verification from Gao regarding the accuracy of the story, Gao told them that John Sudworth and Simon Maybin, the co-authors of the BBC article, had never interviewed him, and he had not participated in any activities organized by the BBC recently….Gao stated that the BBC’s “outrageous” quotation of his words was taken out of context from an online conversation he had with several scientists at the end of 2022.”
“Preventing Pandemics by (Not) Seizing the Low-Hanging Fruit (Bat)”
This post from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine discusses how faculty members are working with the Wildlife Conservation Society in a partnership with The Lancet Planetary Health to understand “…how such surges in deaths, illness, and suffering – as well as their economic costs – can be prevented in the future. One basic solution, the authors argue, may lie in a global taboo against harming or disturbing bats and their habitats.”
The post explains later that, “Given that most, but not all, of the identified bat-related activities of concern – such as bat hunting, consumption, and trade; bat guano harvesting, use, and trade; cave tourism; and incursions into key bat habitats with livestock, homesteads, mines, and crop agriculture at smallholder and industrial scales – occur in low-income and middle-income countries, the authors recognize the need to try to mitigate any socioeconomic or cultural burdens that voluntary changes in behavior would cause, and call for wealthier countries to provide logical forms of compensation. “Such compensation would undoubtedly be a small price to pay to lessen the risk of future pandemics,” said Osofsky, who believes that preventing pandemics at the source is the most equitable way to benefit all of humanity.”
“The key, the authors say, is not to fear, chase away or cull bats – which may be counterproductive, because dispersing the animals only increases the odds of zoonotic spillover. On the contrary, allowing bats to survive and thrive by letting them exist undisturbed in their habitats can pay other dividends around the world. The ecosystem services bats provide – from control of mosquitos and other harmful insects to crop pollination – are worth many billions of dollars annually.”
“Health Security Intelligence: Intelligence, Biosecurity, and the Bioeconomy”
In this article in International Studies, Gaudys L. Sanclemente and Fredy Rivera-Vélez uses the actor-network theory to better understand the intersection of security, intelligence, health, and cybersecurity. They write in their abstract: “Technology advancements and instruments present a beneficial influence in the bioeconomy at the intersection of security, intelligence, health, and cybersecurity. The actor–network theory inspires theoretical reflections on the importance of key actors interweaving in the information ecosystem, including human and nonhuman actors. Alliances, instruments, and public representation can raise awareness of research and development in the life sciences. The analysis focuses on the bioeconomy where the economy, biological sciences, and Big Data intersect as a source for understanding how boundary objects influence avenues of potential threats. As an emerging sector, the bioeconomy proposes using biological sciences and resources and transforming them into valuable products to enhance economic activity and drive innovation. However, the growth of the bioeconomy may lead to an expansion of security risks and threats. The increasing amount of information, coupled with data sharing and technology advancements in the biosphere, raises security concerns. The research reflects on two emerging fields, biosecurity and cyberbiosecurity, safeguarding the bioeconomy. This contribution highlights the value of knowledge production, preserving security, and awareness of vulnerabilities and risks regarding nefarious activities while not hindering research, development, and innovation in the bioeconomy. As the sector grows, more strategic protection may be necessary for the betterment of sustainable growth and development. The research contributes to the intelligence, security studies, and science and technology studies disciplines and as a source for military experts, security professionals, researchers, and intelligence analysts.”
What We’re Listening To 🎧
Fever: The Hunt for Covid’s Origin
“Cover-ups, coincidences, and conspiracy theories: where did Covid come from?”
“John Sudworth was the BBC’s China correspondent when an unexplained pneumonia started worrying Wuhan doctors in December 2019. Since then, he’s been investigating the origin of the virus that would turn into a devastating global pandemic.”
“From the beginning, there have been claims of certainty. Many scientists say the virus that causes Covid came from nature – probably carried from bats to other animals, and then to humans in a Wuhan market.”
“But an alternative possibility – that it leaked from a laboratory – has refused to go away. And other scientists claim there’s uncertainty. For them, the mystery of Covid’s origin remains unsolved.”
“So, where did Covid come from? For every one of the millions of lives lost, for every long sufferer, for the pain, the isolation, and the incalculable economic cost, the answer matters. It might also help us prevent another – maybe even worse – pandemic.”
“But it’s a debate that’s become politicised, toxic, and a bit crazy.”
Listen to all available episodes here.
FP Global Health Forum 2023
“Global health is more than a humanitarian issue — it’s a critical component of foreign policy, international security, and economic stability. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed glaring weaknesses in global healthcare systems and medical supply chains, prompting urgent calls for reform and resilience-building. Meanwhile, shifting demographics have increased the burden of non-communicable diseases that disproportionately impact some of the world’s most impoverished nations. Climate change further complicates the situation, as rising temperatures and extreme weather events impact well-being, and populations flee sea-level rise, drought, and resource scarcity to regions ill-equipped to handle an influx of migrants.”
“In the face of these unprecedented challenges, the global health community acknowledges the need to develop sustainable solutions that can withstand the trials of an ever-changing world. FP’s Global Health Forum is an opportunity to engage with those leading the charge, and to discuss how investments in health can ultimately strengthen resilience and stability around the globe.”
This hybrid event will take place June 13 from 8-11:30 am EST. Learn more and register here.
CSWMD 2023 Annual Symposium: WMD in the Decisive Decade
“The National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) invites you to join us on 14 June 2023 for the virtual Annual CSWMD Symposium, titled WMD in the Decisive Decade.”
“This year’s symposium will explore the cognitive impacts WMD has on strategic decision making and the challenges associated with operating in an environment where WMD has been employed. It will be an opportunity for the WMD community to engage with officials and thought leaders on current WMD challenges at the unclassified level, including keynote addresses by Richard Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and CWMD Policy and Rebecca Hersman, Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.”
“For more information and to register for this event click here. Please RSVP by 9 JUNE 2023.”
“We look forward to hosting you for the event. For more information about the WMD Center and reference our research, please visit our website at https://wmdcenter.ndu.edu/ and follow us on Twitter and on LinkedIn.”
Intelligent Immunity – Drawing from Innate Immune Mechanisms to Design Pathogen-agnostic Diagnostics for Emerging Threats
From PNNL: “Join us as we welcome Harshini Mukundan, program manager for the chemical and biological technologies at the Office of National Homeland Security (OHNS), and scientist in the biosciences area. Her talk, titled “Intelligent Immunity – Drawing from Innate Immune Mechanisms to Design Pathogen-agnostic Diagnostics for Emerging Threats” will be Thursday, June 15, at noon PT.“
“The human innate immune system is a classic example of a pathogen agnostic diagnostic and therapeutic system. Mimicking innate immunity in the laboratory can allow for the universal identification of emerging threats, increasing our preparedness against future pandemics and biowarfare events. We have been working on understanding core principles guiding host-pathogen interactions and adapting them to design tailored assays for the direct detection of pathogen signatures in complex clinical samples. A snapshot of design to deployment of this approach – including preliminary clinical studies in blinded cohorts will be presented. Finally, we will touch on current work intended to expand the scale of this understanding in order to achieve a machine learning model of innate immunity that is truly agnostic.”
Register here.
Biorisks, Biosecurity And Biological Disarmament Conference
“Advances in science and technology are taking place at an unprecedented rate, making vital contributions to addressing major societal challenges. Yet, transformative developments in a wide range of fields can also pose risks to society. As such, it has become more important than ever to monitor opportunities and risks posed by advances in science and technology for the biosecurity regime. This cannot be done by any one actor alone, rather it will require collaborative efforts by states and stakeholders from civil society, academia and industry, along with other actors.”
“In order to facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement around biological security and biological disarmament, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are co-organizing a stakeholder conference designed to bring together actors from civil society, academia and industry, along with diplomats, to stimulate the exchange of ideas and thinking around how to build biosecurity and bolster biological disarmament. The event will provide an opportunity to discuss ongoing diplomatic processes and current and upcoming issues in the areas of biorisk, biosecurity and biological disarmament.”
This hybrid event will take place July 4-5. Learn more and register here.
Gordon Research Conference: Cross-Cutting Science Facilitating Collaboration Across the Threat-Science Research Community
“The Nonproliferation, Counterproliferation and Disarmament Science GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.”
This conference will take place July 9-14 in Ventura, CA. Learn more and register here.
Job Announcement: Director, Office of Biodefense Research and Surety at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
“The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is seeking an exceptional and visionary leader to serve as director, Office of Biodefense Research and Surety (OBRS) reporting to the Deputy Director for Science Management, NIAID.”
“OBRS serves as the NIAID focal point for coordinating, planning, and implementing the biodefense research supported by NIAID. OBRS disseminates information on the Institute’s biodefense research programs, policies, and funding opportunities and coordinates biodefense and biodefense-related research issues across NIH. A key responsibility of OBRS is oversight of the Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP), which consists of an annual discovery research and early development budget of approximately $52M and includes the participation of eight NIH institutes and centers. OBRS oversees the NIAID Emergency Preparedness planning and Continuity of Operations planning offices. In addition, OBRS participates in the governance of the high-containment taskforce and serves as the NIAID liaison with the NIH Office of the Director, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal departments and agencies regarding intelligence gathering and analysis which may impact NIH programs and operations.”
“The OBRS director provides overall executive direction and scientific leadership to this complex operation. The director oversees and coordinates both branches of the OBRS: the Biodefense Research Countermeasures Branch and the Surety and Preparedness Coordination Branch. Additionally, the director serves as principal advisor to the Director, NIAID and Deputy Director for Science Management on matters related to biosafety, biocontainment, and surety. The director represents NIAID/NIH on interagency and interdepartmental committees, working groups, and professional meetings, as well as international forums and symposia dealing with biodefense, emerging infections, biosecurity, and biocontainment. The director participates in the governance of the NIH High Containment Taskforce and provides support to the NIH Biodefense Research Coordination Committee, a central resource for trans-NIH communication and planning of biodefense activities.”
Learn more and apply to this position here.
Medical Countermeasures- Expanding Delivery and Increasing Uptake Through Public-Private Partnerships: A Workshop Series: Call for Experts
From the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking nominations for experts to participate in a workshop planning committee for the “Medical Countermeasures- Expanding Delivery and Increasing Uptake Through Public-Private Partnerships: A Workshop Series”. This planning committee will plan and conduct a virtual workshop series to examine lessons learned and future opportunities for public-private partnerships to facilitate delivery, monitoring, uptake, and utilization of medical countermeasures (MCM) to the public during a public health emergency.”
“The workshop will build on lessons learned from various models deployed during the COVID-19 response, such as retail pharmacies as points of diagnosis and MCM dispensing, outpatient infusion centers and home health care providers as collaborators in administering monoclonal antibodies, employer-led initiatives, uses of telehealth, and collaborations between telehealth providers and various dispensing options to provide access to MCMs for the public.”
Learn more and submit nominations here.
Application for iGEM Judges Open Now
“Judging in iGEM is a fun, rewarding experience and requires commitment! Through the judging process, our judges will evaluate, celebrate, and help guide the next generation of synthetic biologists. Judges help the entire iGEM community celebrate the hard work and achievements of our iGEM teams.”
“We need judges — both experienced and new — who understand and value iGEM. Many of our judges come back year after year, and we gladly welcome new judges to apply as well.”
Learn more and apply here.
BARDA Announces New FDA Approval for Medical Countermeasures Supported by BARDA Under Novel-Public Private Partnerships
From BARDA: “BARDA is excited about the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of OPVEE (nalmefene) nasal spray, an emergency opioid overdose reversal treatment, from our partner Indivior (through its wholly owned subsidiary, Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc). This drug-device combination product is approved as a fast and long-acting emergency treatment for known or suspected opioid overdoses. This decision marks the newest FDA approval for medical countermeasures supported by BARDA under novel public-private partnerships.”
Read more here.
Weekly Trivia Question
You read the Pandora Report every week and now it’s time for you to show off what you know! The first person to send the correct answer to biodefense@gmu.edu will get a shout out in the following issue (first name last initial). Our question this week is: Boston opened a smallpox quarantine hospital on which island in 1717?
Our question last week was “In what year did routine smallpox vaccination end for the US public?” The answer is 1972.
The Pandora Report 