Soligenix, Inc. has announced that it has opened the study titled "A Phase 1C, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study to Evaluate the
Safety of RiVax, a Lyophilized Ricin Toxin A-Chain Subunit Vaccine with Alum-Adjuvant, in Healthy, Normal Adults."
Preliminary safety results from the trial are expected in the second quarter of 2020 with longer-term safety and immunogenicity results from throughout the 6-month follow-up period expected in the fourth quarter of 2020.

RiVax is the Company's vaccine candidate for the prevention of death following exposure to a lethal dose of ricin toxin using a unique antigen that is completely devoid of the toxic activity of ricin. The RiVax antigen has demonstrated safety in two previous Phase 1 clinical studies.  When formulated using Soligenix's proprietary heat stabilization technology (ThermoVax), RiVax has demonstrated significantly enhanced thermostability and up to 100% protection in non-human primates (NHPs) in preclinical aerosol challenge models. RiVax is being developed under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "Animal Rule" and previous studies have identified potential immune correlates of protection between NHPs and humans that will be measured in this study.

The Phase 1C, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study in healthy adult volunteers is designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a standard 3-dose vaccine regimen of RiVax utilizing ThermoVax, administered monthly, followed by a 6-month follow-up period.  In addition to evaluating the overall safety and tolerability of the vaccine, immunogenicity endpoints will be measured during and after vaccination throughout the follow-up period.  The study is expected to enroll 8 subjects (2 placebo, 6 RiVax).

"We are pleased to initiate this study and advance our world-leading vaccine candidate to protect against ricin toxin poisoning," stated Richard C. Straube, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Soligenix. "Ricin toxin is easily made in large quantities and is lethal in extremely small quantities. RiVax is an orphan designated product in both the US and Europe. We are pleased that RiVax may be able to provide significant protection against this deadly bioweapon." 

Previous studies with less refined formulations have demonstrated safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine antigen, but suffered from suboptimal stability. The thermostabilized RiVax formulation is stable for up to 12 months at temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). This thermostabilization is achieved with specific changes in formulation conditions, including the use of Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) stabilizing excipients and lyophilization (freeze-drying).  Both the Phase 1A study conducted with liquid formulated antigen alone and the Phase 1B study conducted with antigen and an alum-adjuvant have already demonstrated the safety and immunogenicity of these critical components of the RiVax formulation.

The development of RiVax has been funded through a series of grants from both the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the FDA and ongoing development is sponsored by NIAID contract #HHSN272201400039C. Non-dilutive funding for the development of RiVax has exceeded $40M to date.

DroneShield Ltd  is pleased to report the combined elements of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and PHISGOC Games Safety & Security Counter-Drone Team from Safer PH Innovations (DroneShield’s Philippines partner) successfully disabled seven commercial drones during the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian Games held in Philippine Arena, Ciudad de Victoria, Santa Maria, Bulacan, on 30^th November 2019 between 6:45 PM to 7:30 PM local time.
 
Four of the nefarious drones simultaneously appeared along the flight path of the Presidential helicopter minutes before his arrival which prompted the PSG to deploy the DroneShield systems to prevent the drones from hitting the rotor blades of the helicopter and causing a catastrophic crash that would endanger the life of the President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte.
 
DroneShield’s RfPatrol was utilised for detection of the drones, while DroneNode and DroneGun Tactical systems were deployed for neutralisation.
 
30^th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games are held in the Philippines from 30 November 2019 to 11 December 2019. The Games include 11 participating nations and approximately 9,000 athletes, and consist of 530 events across 56 sports, with an audience of approximately 500 million viewers. 

With heavy hearts, JPEO-CBRND mourns the loss of Dr. Valentin Novikov, Joint Product Leader for Radiological and Nuclear Defense and LTC, US Army (ret). After a life spent dedicated to CBRN defense, Dr. Novikov passed away Saturday afternoon. Arrangements:
https://www.kalasfuneralhomes.com/memorials/dr-valentin-novikov/4052282/index.php

Dr. Novikov retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army in 2006 while serving as the Director for Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Combat Developments for the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Dr. Novikov's other assignments during his 25 year Army career included: 3rd Chemical Brigade Executive Officer; 4th Infantry Division Chemical Officer in Tiqrit, Iraq; 2nd Infantry Division Chemical Officer at Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea: Conventional Farces Analyst for the Joint Staff; 4th Forward Support Battallion S3; 2nd Armoured Division Assistant Chemical Officer; West Point Prep School Mathematics Instructor; 84th Chemical Battallion S3; Headquarters Company Commander at Johnston Island; 71st Chemical Company Executive Officer;  and Chemical Officer for what was a nuclear capable 25th Division Artillery and 1-8th Field Artillery Battallion.

After reaching the rank of Specialist Five with the Air Defense Artillery, and subsequent completion of Officer Candidate School as the Distinguished Academic Graduate at Fort Benning, Georgia, Dr. Novikov was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Chemical Corps.

On Tuesday December 3rd a patient was admitted to a specialist unit at St Thomas' Hospital in central London after Public Health England confirmed a diagnosis of Monkeypox. 

It is believed the individual contracted the virus whilst visting Nigeria, which has seen at least four outbreaks of Monkeypox this year. This is the second time the UK has dealt with the virus after 3 cases were treated in the country in September 2018. 

Dr Meera Chand, consultant microbiologist at PHE, said people should not be too concerned as the virus does not spread easily and the overall risk to the general public is "very low".

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus rarely travels between humans and people tend to be infected through the handling of monkeys, squirrels and rats that carry it.

Dr Chand said: "We are following up with those who have had close contact with the patient to offer advice and to monitor them as necessary.

"PHE and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed to minimise the risk of transmission."

An explosion rocked a chemical plant early this morning in Texas causing extensive damage across the small city of Port Neches, leaving at least three employees injured, and a mandatory evacuation of everyone within half a mile of the plant. 

Innovators, researchers and canine training experts are invited to learn about funding opportunities in the detection canine field on December 10, 2019, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Center for Innovative Technology, 2214 Rock Hill Rd, Herndon, VA 20170. Hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), this Technology and Innovation Exchanges (TIES) event is focused on advancing detection canine research and development. This TIES engagement is the second in a series of nation-wide collaborative events designed to engage and educate innovator communities about DHS’s vast mission, homeland security challenges and specific operational needs.

“Each TIES event is a unique opportunity for us to focus on important research areas related to a DHS operational mission and to connect with industry,” said Megan Mahle, DHS S&T Director of Industry Partnerships. “We encourage innovators to join us and hear from leading experts in the detection canine field, learn about available business opportunities through DHS S&T’s Long Range Broad Agency Announcement, and network with representatives in this field.”

DHS S&T wants to engage with detection canine innovators, researchers, and experts to:

• Develop and validate tools and techniques for the canine end-user community to optimize training methods and deployment strategies.
• Perform comprehensive canine research to maximize the abilities of odor detection dogs.
• Conduct studies on the chemistry of odor analysis and odor effects to reduce the burden of training and maintenance of certified detection canines.

“We want to reach a broad spectrum of innovators to help us solve our most important detection canine research challenges,” said Don Roberts, S&T’s Detection Canine Program Manager. “Through S&T business opportunities focused on funding innovation, industry can help us advance our knowledge in the fields of detection canine training methods, odor chemistry research, and maintaining a canine’s detection proficiency.”

This event is free and limited to 135 attendees, so interested organizations and individuals are encouraged to register prior to the event. For questions or more information, please email .

Original Story from WTOC11

WAYNE COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Over a quarter of electricity in Georgia is produced by nuclear power. That makes it the second largest source of power in the Peach state, beating out coal by a few percentage points. There are four nuclear energy facilities in Georgia. Vogtle 1 and Vogtle 2 sit just below Augusta. Then there’s Southern Nuclear’s “Hatch 1” and “Hatch 2” positioned along the Altamaha River, just north of Baxley.
Wayne County is now ready to respond to any radiological emergency.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office just received new detection devices. Wayne County is one of 75 counties in Georgia within 50 miles of a nuclear facility. “There’s a lot of things around us that, you know, we could be subject to some sort of dirty bomb or like I said a nuclear IED,” said Sheriff John Carter. It’s a concern Wayne County’s sheriff takes seriously. He says the release of radiation is unlikely, but it’s not impossible. That’s why the Sheriff’s Office just put deputies through a radiation detection backpack training.

“We felt like it was something we wanted our deputies to have the ability to detect the radiological material that they may come in contact with,” said Carter. Plus, with a more than $100,000 grant, the office now has four radionuclide isotope identification devices, also called RIIDS. “This gives us the information on the isotope to be able to relay that to the Department of Energy,” said Cpl. William Chitty. Essentially, this yellow device can determine if something is a threat or not. “This is giving us the radioactive reading,” said Chitty.

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office awarded Wayne County the grant, and for that, Sheriff Carter is thankful as his goal is to keep the community safe from any dangerous radiological material. “We hope we never have to confront that, but I want to protect our community,” said Carter. Not only will the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office have the RIIDS, they just ordered 10 Personal Radiation Detectors for deputies’ belts, and that was also included in the grant.

If you would like to learn more about radition in the community check out this video from the FLIR Primed series https://www.flir.co.uk/threat-detection/primed/primed-episode-21where-is-radiation-in-your-community/

Rapiscan is pleased to announce that the RTT110 Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) has been tested by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and has achieved the ECAC 3.1 performance standard for EDS.  This is currently the highest testing standard used by ECAC for EDS systems in Europe.

The RTT 110 is an industry-leading, advanced-technology system that is already in use in airports and air cargo screening facilities around the world.  Customers choose the RTT 110 to improve the speed, efficiency and effectiveness of their hold baggage and air cargo screening operations.

Rapiscan Systems will be exhibiting on stand D30 at the International Security Expo 2019 at Olympia, London 3rd and 4th December, where you can speak to one of the company’s experts and find out more about its innovative products and solutions.

For more information about the Rapiscan RTT 110 and other Rapiscan Systems products and solutions, please visit https://www.rapiscansystems.com/en/

On November 20, 2019, American Security Today (AST) announced the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award’ winners for outstanding product development and innovative technologies that are mission-ready for critical security applications. We’re proud to report the FLIR MUVE™ C360 won a Platinum Award as ’Best CBRNE Detection Solution’ (Chemical/Biological/Radiation/Nuclear/Explosive) for its excellence and new heights of safety that enable first responders to operate on the move during hazardous material response.

AST’s Annual ASTORS Awards recognize the nation’s most distinguished vendors for physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders for their efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’ Former New York City and Boston police commissioner, and former LAPD chief, Bill Bratton was keynote speaker at the 2019 Homeland Security Awards Luncheon held in Manhattan.

As the industry’s first unmanned multi-gas detector specifically built for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the FLIR MUVE C360 transforms how emergency response teams approach chemical, industrial, or environmental incidents by delivering standoff threat detection capability. The integrated multi-gas monitor provides first responders a way to assess hazardous scenes from a safe distance, dramatically reducing time to action, and delivering a more complete assessment in situations where every second counts. In the average time it takes to suit up, the MUVE C360 has already arrived on scene to locate, identify, and track the progression of chemical hazards.

The C360 houses a photoionization detector, plus a suite of advanced electrochemical sensors that provide real-time continuous monitoring of chemical hazards such as chlorine, carbon monoxide, and other combustible gases. Using the MUVE C360, fire crews can monitor air quality surrounding active scenes before entry, and industrial experts can perform inspections in hard-to-reach areas with relative ease.

FLIR VueLink™, a pilot flight application, gives drone operators a plug-and-play interface to the MUVE C360, featuring advanced flight-control and interface with the FLIR Cloud.

FLIR System’s full suite of intelligent sensing solutions coordinate emergency response between law enforcement, firefighters and HAZMAT teams across the country, and most importantly, keep operators out of harm’s way.

Also this year, Grant Coffey, Portland Fire & Rescue Team Coordinator (Ret), CBRNE Industry Expert, Guest Author, and FLIR PRIMED Brand Ambassador was recognized with an award for Excellence in Public Safety. With over 37 years of experience in the Fire/Hazmat Industry, Mr. Coffey is focused on using his skills and experience to train and educate first responders and hazmat professionals.

This was FLIR’s fourth consecutive year recognized in the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards. To learn more about the MUVE C360 and our other Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives products, visit flir.com/detection.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has released the first detailed, exclusively open-source assessment of the five new nuclear weapon systems announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside a new analysis underscoring the need to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) based on the report’s findings.

Authored by Jill Hruby, NTI’s inaugural Sam Nunn Distinguished Fellow and a former director of Sandia National Laboratories, the report, Russia’s New Nuclear Weapon Delivery Systems: An Open-Source Technical Review, provides insight into the technical characteristics, deployment schedule, and military objectives for each of the five systems, plus one additional system that may be nuclear capable in the future.

An accompanying analysis, Russia’s New Nuclear Weapon Delivery Systems: Implications for New START, Future Arms Control, and Strategic Stability, by NTI experts Mark Melamed and Lynn Rusten, draws on Hruby’s technical assessment. The paper concludes that “extending New START would ensure that significant new Russian systems would be subject to limits and verification and would provide a forum for discussing the other strategic systems that are further away in time from deployment.” 

As part of the European Commission project ENCIRCLE we are currently going through the CBRNe needs and gaps prioritisation process which will be an input for the CBRN topics for the H2020 Security Call next year and would like to encourage our European readers to provide your views.

SIGA Technologies, Inc. today announced that the Canadian Department of National Defence (CDND) has issued an advanced contract award notice (ACAN), indicating that it intends to award a contract to fund regulatory filing with Health Canada for approval of oral TPOXX®.  The ACAN is required to remain open for approximately 15 days, during which time a potential alternative supplier who meets the ACAN requirements for a smallpox anti-viral therapy that has been approved by national regulatory authority may submit a competing Statement of Capabilities. SIGA is the only company currently able to fulfill this requirement.

“The ACAN represents an important first step by the Canadian military, to ultimately provide TPOXX as a medical countermeasure for smallpox. In the past, Canada has pursued initial procurement of medical countermeasures prior to full regulatory approval and pursuant to emergency use authorization as a strategy for protecting its citizens from potential bio-threats, with additional, larger procurements typically following such approval,” said Dr. Phil Gomez, CEO of SIGA Technologies. “As a result, this ACAN is an important first step in Canada’s efforts to enhance its smallpox preparedness with an anti-viral product. We are pleased that the CDND has identified TPOXX as the only smallpox treatment qualified to fulfill its requirements. We look forward to working with the appropriate Canadian authorities on the next steps in preparation of a regulatory filing for oral TPOXX, which is initially targeted for 2020, and ultimate delivery of this important smallpox antiviral therapy to help protect the people of Canada.”

The ACAN notice can be found at: https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-19-00896089.