HHS Review Calls for Support of Early Stage Research, Manufacturing Centers

Establishing manufacturing centers to provide resources for small biotech companies to bring products to market and creating teams at the National Institutes of Health to identify promising research are among a list of recommendations resulting from a comprehensive review of the federal government's system to produce medical countermeasures against bioterrorism threats. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released last week findings from the report, which identified five key areas for improvement focused on speeding up early stage research to produce vaccines and other countermeasures. The report finds that the U.S. needs to more quickly develop manufacturing processes that can be used for multiple medications or vaccines and better nurture discoveries in their earliest stages. As a result of these findings, HHS expects to release a draft solicitation for one or more Centers of Innovation for Advanced Development and Manufacturing in the coming weeks and create new NIH research teams. HHS also will explore ways to help small companies attract investors. Read the press release or the full report.