Full text can be found here, but the edited highlights are:

The Strategy sets out to: 
Detect pandemics and other biological threats:  The Strategy aims to transform early warning of infectious disease threats by accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies that can rapidly detect novel pathogens. It will improve real-time information for decision-making by planning for an enduring all-hazards hospital data collection system, expanding platforms to integrate and share data for response, and improving data sharing internationally. These efforts build on the recently launched Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which creates the equivalent of a “national weather service” for infectious disease outbreaks, enabling rapid, effective decision-making to improve outbreak response using data, modeling, and analytics.

Prevent outbreaks from becoming epidemics and prevent biological incidents before they happen by:

• Stopping outbreaks at their source through strengthening global health security:  The United States will support at least 50 countries to better prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, while encouraging other donors and partners to support an additional 50 countries.  The United States will also invest in critical multilateral institutions that further strengthen the global health architecture.  The Administration has already accelerated this effort by leading the charge to establish a groundbreaking new Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response at the World Bank. With the United States and more than 20 countries contributing over $1.4 billion in seed funding at its outset, this new fund will help fill major preparedness gaps at the national, regional, and global level. The Strategy also builds on USAID’s announcement earlier this year committing $150 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to accelerate the development of life-saving vaccines and countermeasures against biological threats. The United States will continue to support and strengthen the World Health Organization, which plays an essential role in strengthening health systems around the world to better prepare for and respond to health emergencies.
• Strengthening laboratory biosafety and biosecurity: The United States will work with domestic and international partners to prevent laboratory accidents by strengthening biosafety laboratory capacity, reinforcing norms of responsible conduct for biological research, and accelerating biosafety and biosecurity innovation in the United States and abroad. These efforts include galvanizing support for multilateral biosafety and biosecurity commitments, and establishing international mechanisms to enhance biosafety and biosecurity globally.
• Deterring use and development of bioweapons: The United States will also invest in pathbreaking technologies to detect and attribute biological weapons use, and work with foreign partners to prevent use and respond decisively if biological weapons are deployed. The United States will work to strengthen international norms against traditional and novel biological weapons, including through efforts under the Biological Weapons Convention to foster greater transparency among all nation-states.

Prepare for pandemics and other biological incidents: The Strategy aims to transform our preparedness to respond to outbreaks, building on the American Pandemic Preparedness Plan: Transforming Our Capabilities: Transforming Our Capabilities, released by the Administration in 2021. The United States will work to strengthen and modernize domestic public, veterinary, and plant health capacity at every level, from rural jurisdictions to large cities, so that outbreaks in humans, animals, and plants can be identified and controlled quickly and equitably. This effort includes recruiting, training, and sustaining a robust, flexible, permanent cadre of essential critical health infrastructure workers, outbreak emergency responders, public health laboratory scientists, technicians, data quality managers, and animal disease epidemiologists in our territories and all 50 states. This Strategy will also enhance the coordination of evidence-based public health information campaigns across Federal, state and local governments, with the goal of reaching 80% of the American population.

The Strategy also aims to realize new ambitious timelines in the development of novel countermeasures following the determination of a nationally or internationally significant biological incident (including a high consequence outbreak or potential pandemic). These targets reinforce key elements of the 100 Days Mission, which was welcomed by President Biden and G7 leaders last year and is catalyzing international cooperation in support of urgent global biodefense goals. Over the next 5-10 years, it aims to:

• Enable testing within 12 hours, surge tens of thousands of diagnostic tests within one week, and develop rapid diagnostics within 90 days;
• Develop vaccines within 100 days; manufacture enough vaccine for the population of the United States within 130 days; and work with international partners to develop sufficient vaccine supply for high-risk global populations within 200 days; and,
• Accelerate therapeutic development and validation to repurpose existing drugs within 90 days or develop novel therapeutics within 180 days.

Rapidly respond to outbreaks when they occur: To leverage these capabilities effectively, the Strategy strengthens the United States’ readiness to launch a coordinated, comprehensive, equitable response to any significant biological incident within days.  This effort includes preparing to activate an integrated Federal research agenda within 14 days of the determination of a domestically or internationally significant biological incident, and a clinical trials infrastructure within 14 days of identifying a viable countermeasure to rapidly evaluate vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics during a response.

Recover from a pandemic or biological incident: Finally, the Strategy ensures that the Federal government will be prepared to coordinate a long-term, equitable recovery strategy for any significant biological incident, in close partnership with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and communities.

To support execution of the Strategy, the promulgation of the National Security Memorandum-15 (NSM-15) on Countering Biological Threats, Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness, and Achieving Global Health Security strengthens the coordination of biodefense efforts across the Federal government by:

• Centralizing oversight of policy coordination at the White House to ensure accountability for implementing the Strategy and in so doing to bring together the strengths of all Federal agencies.
• Directing departments and agencies to prioritize biodefense and implementation of the Strategy in their annual budgets.
• Directing the Intelligence Community to closely monitor the evolving biothreat threat landscape and provide critical and potentially time-sensitive information needed to address naturally occurring, accidental, and deliberate biothreats.
• Ensuring the Federal government continuously adapts to the evolving threat landscape by exercising annual biodefense emergency response plans, reviewing ongoing responses, and adjusting Federal priorities on a regular basis to account for lessons learned.

Join Emergency Response TIPS & Proengin for this Free Proengin Academy Webinar about Infrastructure Protection against Chemical & Biological Threats. 

Critical infrastructure represents an attractive target for those intending to harm so it's essential to be able to protect them by having detectors on strategic locations.

Join this FREE Webinar to further discuss these cases & learn more about the sample rate, accuracy, and sensitivity levels of the detector being utilized with Proengin chemical & biological solutions. 

Click here to register

On October 3, 2022,  Aktiv Pharma Group (Aktiv) announced a procurement contract award from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under this contract (number 75A50122C00082), awarded under the 2004 Project BioShield Act, Aktiv will supply emergency autoinjectors containing pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM) to the CHEMPACK program, targeting proposed indications related to organophosphate poisoning including nerve agents. The total value of the contract, including options to continue supplying the product until 2029, is up to $220 million.  

“We are humbled by the opportunity to support the U.S. government to enhance its readiness and preparedness to protect the U.S. civilian population and provide peace-of-mind to the emergency first responders if they have to use these products” said the company founder and CEO, Amir Genosar.

The ARAI autoinjector has been developed by Aktiv with the support of BARDA and the Department of Defense (DoD) as a next generation autoinjector platform to address the shortfalls of previous autoinjectors, by improving usability, reliability, robustness, and drug stability. ARAI is a versatile platform that can deliver up to 5 ml dose volumes, perform simultaneous injections of multiple, separately stored drug formulations, and automatically reconstitute drugs formulated in dry form. Aktiv is currently expanding the ARAI platform to include a consumer market autoinjector for biopharmaceuticals that will feature the same reliability, robustness, and usability benefits in a smaller form factor and with added data connectivity.

Aktiv is leveraging its superior autoinjector technology to advance the strongest emergency treatment pipeline in the industry, which currently includes atropine, pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM), atropine/2-PAM dual-injection, scopolamine, and tranexamic acid (TXA). Aktiv is also collaborating with another pharmaceutical company to develop a reconstitution autoinjector for a long-acting formulation of naloxone.

About Aktiv
Aktiv is a vertically integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with combination product contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) capabilities, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing sterile injectable products in a portfolio of proprietary, value-added, glass-free prefilled delivery systems. Aktiv has unique combination product competencies, specifically targeting biopharmaceuticals. The company’s facilities in Colorado include device development, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and manufacturing equipment labs, assembly rooms operated under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), and sterile fill-finish suites. Aktiv can be reached at https://aktivpharmagroup.com/contact.

Orginally published in Engineer Live

A new partnership between two robotics companies is showing the potential of the technology to shape how hazardous materials are handled safely in the future.

Thanks to a recent virtual reality (VR) experiment between Extend Robotics and Shadow Robot, achieving that aim is one step closer.

This robotics partnership happened as part of the Value of Joint Experimentation in Digital Technologies for Manufacturing and Construction (VOJEXT) project. VOJEXT is a Horizon 2020 project which is aiming to provide a new generation of user-friendly frameworks for collaborative robotics for the needs of the manufacturing and construction industries.

Extend Robotics has developed software technologies to make it easier for users to control robotics hardware remotely using accessible and affordable consumer VR technology like Oculus and SteamVR. Shadow Robot, meanwhile, has been developing dextrous robotics for around 25 years, recently with a focus on teleoperation. The company builds next-generation robot hands and systems with advanced dexterity to help solve challenging problems and provide a meaningful purpose for robotics.

Ethan Fowler, TeleOp Technical Lead at Shadow Robot, explained the reason behind the firm’s involvement in the partnership: “We found that one of the things that we were lacking was depth perception. When you’re trying to do a remote task, being able to tell how far away things are and make the robot hand reach that position is extremely difficult.

“Extend Robotics has done a lot of work in improving those technologies – their volumetric streaming is something that looks extremely promising.”

The two robotics companies believe their combined technology could have a big impact in manufacturing and construction industries, particularly in industries where there is a need to handle hazardous materials like spent nuclear fuel rods, where a high degree of dexterity precision is crucial.

According to Dr Chang Liu, founder and CEO of Extend Robotics, “This partnership will take the industry of remote robotic operations to the next level.”

Originally published by Railway Age

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will distribute $32.4 million to states, territories and tribes for six hazardous materials safety grant programs in FY 2022.

One of the programs is rail-related: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/">PHMSA will provide $1.2 million in Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training grants to support the training of volunteer or remote emergency responders to respond to incidents involving hazmat shipments by rail.

The agency will also provide:

1. $24.2 million for Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grants for states, territories and tribes to aid in the development, implementation and improvement of emergency plans for local and tribal communities and first-responder hazmat training.
2. $3.8 million in Hazardous Materials Instructor Training grants to support the training of hazmat instructors who train hazmat employees.
3. $1.7 million in Supplemental Public Sector Training grants to support non-profit organizations that train hazmat instructors to conduct first-responder trainings.
4. $1 million in Community Safety grants to support projects that enhance the capabilities of communities to respond to hazmat emergencies and the training of state and local enforcement personnel responsible for enforcing the safe hazmat transport.
5. $414,000 in Hazardous Materials State Inspection grants to cover costs for state-run hazmat shipper inspections to include personnel, travel, equipment, supplies and training for hazmat inspectors.

The six programs include a total of 81 nationwide grants (downloadable list below), according to PHMSA, which noted that this year there was a 14% increase in the number of grantees receiving awards and a 12.5% increase in total grant funding.

“First responders are at the forefront of community and environmental safety,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said. “These grants will provide local emergency responders with the necessary training and resources they need to respond to hazardous materials transportation incidents.”

Download the detailed list of grant recipients and award information

On September 27, 2022, Bertin Technologies announced the acquisition of the Finnish company Environics Oy, previously owned by Verso Capital.

Evotec SE have announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) has awarded Evotec’s Seattle-based subsidiary, Just – Evotec Biologics, Inc. a contract valued up to $ 49.9 m for the rapid development of monoclonal antibody (“mAb”)-based drug product prototypes targeting plague. Plague, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (“Y. pestis”), is one of the designated targets of interest under the DOD’s Accelerated Antibodies Program.

Under the contract, Just – Evotec Biologics will develop mAb-based drug product prototype(s) from sequence discovery or evaluation of existing mAbs to completion of Phase I first-in-human (“FIH”) clinical trials. To enable rapid development, Just – Evotec Biologics will leverage its data-driven, highly automated end-to-end biologics technology platform, J.DESIGN, that includes; antibody discovery (J.HAL^®), molecular optimisation, cell line and process development, and continuous manufacturing at its J.POD^® Redmond, Washington (US) facility. In addition, Evotec will provide pre-clinical and clinical capabilities for mAb prophylactic approvals.

The rapid, cost-efficient development of mAb product protypes will yield an accelerated supply of safe and efficacious mAb medical counter measures (“MCMs”) for use against plague.

J.DESIGN employs a series of innovative technologies relying on the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, intensified and continuous bioprocesses specifically designed for flexible and efficient biologics development, from discovery through to clinical and commercial manufacturing. The advanced Just – Evotec Biologics platform is specifically well suited for monoclonal antibodies as well as other protein modalities such as Fc fusion proteins.

Dr Linda Zuckerman, Executive Vice President Global Head Biotherapeutics at Just – Evotec Biologics commented: “It is an honor to continue our partnership with the JPEO-CBRND team in this new effort to support the DOD’s Accelerated Antibodies program. We are pleased to provide a single integrated discovery, development and manufacturing solution for the DOD.”

Dr Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, added: “We are delighted to support the DOD with this work of strategic national importance, and which we feel represents a clear validation of both the efficiency and speed our leading science, technology and expertise offers our partners.”

Mr. Bruce Goodwin, Joint Project Lead for CBRND Enabling Biotechnologies, added: “JPEO-CBRND-EB is pleased to work with Just/Evotec on this innovative and significant program to protect the Warfighter. Just/Evotec brings a unique approach, a robust toolset and deep expertise to address a challenging threat in a highly accelerated time frame.”

The contract was awarded by the Joint Project Lead for CBRND Enabling Biotechnologies (JPL CBRND-EB) within the DOD’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Contract number MCDC2203-001.

 It was announced that the Russian Federation dropped rounds containing chloropicrin from a drone on Ukrainian positions on the 24th of September. CBRNe World have spoken to sources on the ground and received confirmation that legacy rounds from the 1960s or 70s were used in the attack. 

Chloropicrin is an irritant similar to tear gas, and has been used in Soviet/Russian munitions since 1917. Others have gone onto suggest that it is not chloropicrin but CS, which has much of the same symptoms. 

If this the start of a change in direction, a shortage of ammunition or poor training on the ground? Too early to say, but we'll keep watching for similar incidents. 

Proengin announces the next generation S4PE sampling systems solution, the S4PF. Offering a wider threat detection capability and easier integration in standard operation procedure (SOP) for hazmat, law enforcement, CBRNe experts and military forces. The S4PF from Proengin offers a higher target temperature than its predecessor (S4PE), but the solution has kept its robust, rugged extremely user-friendly design, making it highly desirable for all first responder teams. This new generation model covers a wider range of compounds, allowing for greater situational awareness of the presence of chemical threats.

“The coupled AP4C and S4PE has been deployed around the world for many years and has proven to be a solution of choice for all the teams operating on the front line allowing them to rapidly detect any kind of threat in any state” said Emmanuel Delsart, Vice President Sales & Marketing. “As the variety and physical state of threats increases, Proengin needed to provide a sampling solution that would allow the AP4C to detect a wider range of threats – with the S4PF, PBAs as well as the fourth-generation CWAs can be detected. It was essential for us to reach this objective with a small, rugged package with an easy to use design. By using the S4PE design as a base, it helps existing users to upgrade to this new solution with minimal training effort.”

Targeted to hazmat, law enforcement and CBRNe teams, the S4PF is an easy upgrade for all customers equipped with an AP4C kit, it is also an ideal solution for teams involved in opioid response calls. The powerful pairing of the S4PF handheld scraper with the existing AP4C technology, provides a universal detection solution with the unique ability to measure threats in powder and liquid form.

For more information about Proengin’s S4PF sampling solution, please contact our sales representatives.

Steadicopter – a leader in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry – has announced its collaboration with UK-based Viking Drone Packaging – leading experts in the fields of packaging, UAS operations and the transport of dangerous goods – with the launch of a new capability for transporting critical equipment, including hazardous materials, by air. The multi-function payload container will be installed on the Black Eagle 50 E platform.

Utilizing the full potential of the Black Eagle Electric rotary UAS family of products, this new development will provide Steadicopter’s customers with a cargo delivery option in a versatile mission solution suitable for a wide spectrum of mission applications.

The Black Eagle’s unique flight performance capabilities, coupled with Viking’s industry-leading packaging solutions, enable a wide range of payload delivery options, at different ranges, with the utmost precision.

“Through this collaboration with Viking Drones, Steadicopter is expanding the variety of services it offers to its diverse customers worldwide,” says Noam Lidor, VP of Sales, Marketing & Business Development at Steadicopter. “The Black Eagle family of rotary unmanned aerial vehicles enables users to perform high-end ISR missions with a large selection of sensors. With this new development, users now have the option to utilize the system’s flight characteristics and capabilities to perform much-needed cargo operations – whether last mile, offshore, rural territories and more.”

“We are delighted to announce the collaboration between Viking Drone Packaging and Steadicopter in the design and production of an aerodynamic, multi-function payload container, that is optimized to the specifications of their aircraft,” says Anthony Venetz, Director and Co-founder of Viking Drone Packaging. “Its robust yet lightweight construction, combined with Viking’s patented packaging materials, provides a crash-protected solution that enables the transportation of dangerous goods and precious cargos, along with a host of other use cases.”

About Steadicopter Ltd.

Steadicopter Ltd. is a revolutionary player in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry, specializing in the design, development and production of rotary tactical UAS. The company delivers exceptional, unprecedented, proven solutions for military, HLS and civilian applications. It provides full-featured solutions for any in-field requirements, enabling vertical take-off and landing, steady hovering and leading mission sensor suites for day and night. Steadicopter is ISO-9001/20015 certified for development, manufacturing, marketing, and sales.

About Viking Drone Packaging:

Leading experts in the fields of packaging, UAS operations and the transportation of dangerous goods, Viking Drone Packaging’s founders came together in 2021 to launch the world’s first drone packaging business dedicated to providing solutions that address the challenges of transporting goods by drone.  From 5kg to 500kg, from externally mounted packages to integrated cargo containers, from droppable to lockable and temperature-controlled loads, Viking Drone Packaging is all about providing the right solution, designing and manufacturing exactly what is needed by each customer.

For more information on Viking Drone Packaging, please visit the company’s website: vikingpack.co.uk

The time for CBRNe Convergence 2022 is fast approaching, with that in mind we thought we would give everyone a liitle extra time to submit abstracts for the call for papers and have extended the deadline to Friday September 23rd 2022 

Any paper justifiably related to CBRNe or HazMat will be considered by our panel of experts, so get typing and submit your abstract to Zoe now. 

If you have any questions also feel free to email Zoe, who will be happy to help. 

Successful individuals can be considered for a poster or a speaking slot in the ‘Call for Papers’ section. Speaking slots will be 20 minutes and if accepted also include a poster. Those that are selected to speak will also receive the privilege of having their paper published in CBRNe World.Successful individuals can be considered for a poster or a speaking slot in the ‘Call for Papers’ section. Speaking slots will be 20 minutes and if accepted also include a poster. Those that are selected to speak will also receive the privilege of having their paper published in CBRNe World.Speakers also will receive free entry for the duration of the conference and workshops. Poster submissions will receive a 20% discount off government delegate rates.

There is a critical need for action across biological security education globally, a new paper by researchers from the Biological Security Research Centre (BSRC) at London Metropolitan University argues.

The paper, ‘Key issues in the implementation of the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists: A survey of biosecurity education projects’, which was recently published in the Journal Biosafety and Health, is the summary of a survey project conducted at the BSRC. 

The Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines are a set of 10 guiding principles and standards of conduct designed to promote responsible science practice and strengthen biosecurity governance at national and institutional levels.

Several biosecurity projects have been carried out since research codes of conduct became a topic of discussion in the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in 2005. While some of these projects have been reported on, few attempts have been made to bring this information together and none have analysed the different approaches in the projects.

This paper presents here the results of a survey the BSRC carried out in early 2022 in order to assess the state of education resources made available to life scientists. 

In an ideal world undergraduates, postgraduates, and life scientist researchers have a range of awareness raising courses and materials aimed at improving their understanding of biosecurity and biorisk. This survey aimed to discover how close the bioscience community is to that ideal situation.

Among the education deficiencies the survey identified were several key areas. Firstly, a lack of translation of educational material, even to the six official UN languages. Secondly, a lack of humanities backgrounds, with specific expertise in ethics, across the bioscience community. Thirdly, the lack of involvement from those working in information technology or engineering across bioscience projects.

The paper also underlines the importance of biosecurity education for scientists working in ‘dual use’ areas, where biological research with legitimate scientific purpose could inadvertently assist in a biological or chemical weapons programme.

Implementing the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines is critical, but these measures are unlikely to be effective without a major improvement in biosecurity education for scientists.

As explained in the research paper: “it is not enough simply to put such Codes in place. Without effective measures to educate scientists about the existence and importance of such Codes, attitudes and awareness will remain largely unchanged.” 

The senior author of the paper and visiting associate professor Malcolm Dando said that “this report is the first to provide such a systematic survey of biosecurity education projects, and the first to provide the globe picture and the potential measures to improve and enhance the biological security education globally.”

“This study set out to remedy that gap in our knowledge by attempting to obtain responses to a systematic questionnaire on diverse aspects of biosecurity education projects from as many organisers of the biosecurity projects carried out over the last two decades as we could contact. The questionnaire had a set of 21 closed and open questions, and we received 26 replies related to projects carried out in different countries around the world.”

The corresponding author and the director of the BSRC Professor Lijun Shang further emphasises the importance of the study: “it is significant because it provides an account of the diverse biosecurity education resources that have been developed and tested over the last two decades and that knowledge could greatly assist the development of the biosecurity education necessary to effectively implement the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines.”

Two London Met postgraduate students carried out the survey works under supervision and the project was supported by an internal university fund.