US Anti-Bioterror Efforts Swiftly Expanding Cials for Reliable Information

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Some of these efforts focus on a sharply increased demand from government offi- US anti-bioterror efforts swiftly expanding cials for reliable information. BIO, for example, recently formed a seven-member Responding to a limited but deadly series of team to respond to stepped-up recent deliberately inflicted cases of anthrax that requests from officials in federal agencies followed the September 11 attacks, US offi- and Congress for accurate and sometimes cials and industry representatives estab- technical information on bioterrorism- lished special task forces and announced related subjects, including how the biotech collaborative efforts to fortify national industry can help in meeting such threats. readiness against further bioterrorist In addition, BIO is establishing a permanent attacks. And, amid a flurry of additional committee for dealing with public health bioterrorist defense-related developments, and vaccine-related issues, whose scope President George W Bush also pledged to includes but extends beyond those identi- reexamine ways to strengthen the Biological © Eliot J. Schechter (Getty Images) fied as part of the immediate bioterrorist Weapons Convention (BWC), veering away threat. from a decision shortly before the Amid these pragmatic steps, BIO also September incidents to reject a proposed issued a formal statement, reaffirming its treaty for strengthening restrictions on BIO has emphasized the need for long-term policy “opposing the use of biotechnology to bioweapons development and use (Nat. government commitment for vaccines, particularly develop weapons,”while reminding the pub- Biotechnol. 19, 793, 2001). those to protect against bioterrorist attacks, for lic of its central mission “to improve and which there is normally little or no demand. “The United States is committed to save lives.” In similar fashion, PhRMA presi- strengthening the BWC as part of a compre- dent Alan Holmer said that, in the face of hensive strategy for combating the complex intended to deter bioterrorist attacks. bioterrorist threats, the “pharmaceutical threats of weapons of mass destruction and Henderson comes to HHS from Johns industry will do everything it can to help terrorism,” Bush said in November. “The Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), where protect the public health.” Members of its ideas we propose do not constitute a com- he directed its Center for Civilian recently formed top-level task force on plete solution to the use of pathogens and Biodefense Studies. emergency preparedness have been meeting biotechnology for evil purposes. However, if Also joining HHS as a special advisor on with federal officials to discuss antibiotic we can strengthen the convention against vaccine development and production is supply and production needs as well as plans the threat of biological weapons, we will Phillip Russell, a former director of the US for producing smallpox and other vaccines. contribute to the security of the people of Army Medical Research Institute of Along these same lines, the governing the United States and mankind as a whole.” Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID; Frederick, council of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), © http://biotech.nature.com Group 2001 Nature Publishing He recommended taking several steps, but MD), a major center for bioterrorist defense which is part of the National Academy of steered clear of any measures that might research and related activities. And, at the Sciences (Washington, DC), recommended entail industrial or research facility inspec- Food and Drug Administration (FDA; in early November that a public–private sec- tions, whose prospects were considered piv- Rockville, MD), Janet Woodcock, who has tor “National Vaccine Authority” (NVA) be otal in his earlier decision to reject the pro- been director of the FDA Center for Drug created. Its mission would be to “advance posed treaty. Evaluation and Research, was temporarily the development, production, and procure- Meanwhile, despite persisting uncertainty reassigned for full-time counterterrorism ment of new and improved vaccines of lim- about the source of the anthrax attacks, US coordination duties, helping to smooth ited commercial potential but of global officials are accelerating efforts aimed at cooperative efforts between FDA and other public health need.” protecting the public more broadly against federal agencies and to ensure that FDA has The new IOM recommendations speak these and other even more worrisome contingency plans for a variety of terrorist specifically to the current threat of bioter- bioterrorist agents. Not only are they scenarios. rorism as well as the “larger national need expanding the scope of their preparedness One important challenge facing these for mechanisms to obtain public-good vac- against such agents, but they also are plan- recently appointed and reassigned federal cines on an ongoing basis, and not just ning in a more focused fashion to rebuild officials is to work effectively with members under extenuating circumstances.” supplies if it proves necessary to vaccinate of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical Moreover, according to the members of the the public against smallpox, a disease that industries to produce adequate supplies of IOM council, “An especially important several decades ago was “eradicated,”at least drugs and vaccines (or, in some cases, devel- function [of NVA] would be to provide insofar as it once circulated naturally. op new products) that might be needed to opportunities for the production of pilot Surely with such threats in mind, counteract or prevent specific bioterrorist lots of vaccines developed by small biotech- Department of Health and Human Services agents. Both the Biotechnology Industry nology firms, and to produce vaccines when (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson in Organization (BIO; Washington, DC) and market forces are not sufficient to facilitate November appointed Donald Henderson, the Pharmaceutical Research and large-scale production.”BIO representatives who led the World Health Organization’s Manufacturers of America (PhRMA; have expressed similar views during recent smallpox eradication campaign from 1966 Washington, DC) recently established spe- congressional hearings, emphasizing the to 1977, to head the new HHS Office of cial task forces dedicated to meeting these need for long-term commitments from the Public Health Preparedness. Henderson’s same needs—and also, to some extent, edu- government for vaccines, particularly those responsibilities will entail coordinating the cating their own member companies about to protect against bioterrorist attacks, for national response to public health emergen- how best to contact appropriate govern- which there is ordinarily little—or, in the cies—improving focused health-monitor- ment agencies and how to expedite negotia- case of smallpox, no—market demand. ing programs and seeing to other efforts tions with them. Jeffrey L. Fox, Washington, DC

http://biotech.nature.com • DECEMBER 2001 • VOLUME 19 • nature biotechnology 1091