As fears of the Zika virus continue to spread across the United States, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority issued a task order for vaccine development through Baltimore's Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing.
The facility, owned by Gaithersburg, Maryland-based drug developer Emergent Biosolutions, will receive just under $18 million over the next two and a half years to design an effective countermeasure for the virus and mass-produce doses of the vaccine. The order authorized an additional four million dollars to be granted as needed.
Four years ago, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (an office held under Health and Human Services) began funding the CIADM program as a means of coordinating the work of research universities, tech innovators, and multinational pharmaceutical corporations to protect the nation in the event of an unexpected pandemic.
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Other CIADMs were founded at Texas A&M University, and Holly Springs, North Carolina. For this specific mission, the feds likely opted to work with the Baltimore facility because of Emergent's history combating the dengue virus, which has many similarities to Zika.
By collaborating with drug companies already possessing a substantial manufacturing capacity, CIADMs preclude the necessity of industrial sites built by the government and potentially maintained for years without usage.
The partnership also provides monetary incentive for corporations to continue research into unprofitable fields while assuring that any discoveries would immediately be made available to competing business interests to forge the swiftest possible solution.
As BARDA director Richard Hatchett explained: "The threat posed by Zika presents an urgent need for vaccines and diagnostics … we need to leverage the infrastructure, experience, and expertise available."
The Zika virus, first recorded in human subjects as far back as 1952 but only occurring within the United States within the past year, has sparked tensions throughout the country in part because so little is known about the associated diseases and no universally accepted treatments have been identified.
Although some people suffering from the infection lapse into muscular paralysis, others shake off the symptoms easily enough that they unknowingly pass along the virus through sexual transmission. The virus has been associated with birth defects such as microcephaly.
Despite spiraling public concern, however, there has been limited governmental response. A military spending bill approved last week by the House of Representatives earmarks more than a billion dollars for remedies and shielding. Unfortunately, since the amended legislation disallows funds from reaching Planned Parenthood facilities (and newly re-opened the issue of Confederate flags at federally subsidized veterans' cemeteries), political gridlock seems likely to force substantial delays.
Still, heightened research efforts should soon make some headway. Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced months ago the development of a Zika vaccine whose results from animal testing appeared extremely encouraging, and the Food and Drug Administration has finally authorized the Philadelphia biotech company to begin human trials.
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