Promise of Bioshield Remains Unfulfilled

The promise of the U.S. Project Bioshield program to develop countermeasures against terrorist attacks with unconventional weapons remains significantly unfulfilled four years after the program’s inception, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Dec. 20, 2006).

Less than one-fourth of the program’s $5.6 billion budget has been spent and its priorities have not been fully defined.  The planned purchase of 75 million doses of a new anthrax vaccine collapsed last month amidst disputes between the government and contracted manufacturer VaxGen Inc.  There has been limited movement on treatments for acute radiation sickness, Ebola and plague, along with development of a new smallpox vaccine that could be given to people with suppressed immune systems.

“Bioshield is still a young program,” said Gerald Parker, principal deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department.

The initial part of the effort “was low-hanging fruit, taking things that were already in development” and moving them into the U.S. stockpile.  “Now we’re getting into the harder phase of this.”

Congress in December approved legislation aimed at augmenting Project Bioshield and further encouraging private development of needed drugs (see GSN, Dec. 12, 2006).

Development and stockpiling of biological and other agents identified as major terrorist threats stands as follows, according to the Post:

— The United States has sufficient antibiotics to treat 40 million people exposed to anthrax for more than two months.  There are 9 million doses of anthrax vaccine stockpiled, with another 1 million to be delivered in early 2007.  Two companies beginning this year are to provide 30,000 doses of an anthrax antitoxin.

— A Canadian company has begun delivery of 200,000 doses of a botulism antitoxin.  No plans exist for development of a vaccine.

— Efforts that began before Bioshield produced 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine, enough to treat all U.S. residents.  A contract could be awarded this year for development of a vaccine for the estimated 10 million people with suppressed immune systems.

— There is enough potassium iodide to treat 1 million people exposed to radiation through a nuclear or radiological “dirty bomb” attack.  The drug would help protect the thyroid gland from cancer.  The government has also received 1.9 million of 4.8 million bottles of liquid potassium iodide for children, which were ordered under Bioshield.  Delivery has also begun on 450,000 doses of an antiradiation drug therapy.

— Health and Human Services expects to issue a contract this year for delivery of 100,000 doses of a treatment for infection and uncontrolled bleeding caused by exposure to radiation.

— The National Institutes of Health is researching plague and Ebola vaccines, but it could take year to place them into the U.S. stockpile.  No contracts have been issued for defenses against the diseases (Renae Merle, Washington Post, Jan. 16).

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