DePaul Journal of Health Care Law Volume 10 Issue 3 Spring 2007 Article 8 October 2015 Failures of Project BioShield & Congressional Attempts to Remedy It Megan O'Reilly Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/jhcl Recommended Citation Megan O'Reilly, Failures of Project BioShield & Congressional Attempts to Remedy It, 10 DePaul J. Health Care L. 503 (2007) Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/jhcl/vol10/iss3/8 This Case Briefs is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Law at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in DePaul Journal of Health Care Law by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. CASE BRIEF: THE FAILURES OF PROJECT BIOSHIELD & CONGRESSIONAL ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY IT Megan O'Reilly I. THE THREAT OF A BIOLOGICAL TERROR ATTACK In response to the 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States government began a crash program to develop drugs, vaccine and diagnostic tests to protect the nation from biological terrorism.' As part of this effort, President Bush signed Project BioShield into law on July 21, 2004. The legislation was intended to facilitate a faster process to research, develop, purchase and make bioterrorism countermeasures available to combat bioterrorist threats. 2 However, Project BioShield is not drawing the interest it aimed for. The legislation has faced significant criticism because the law has failed to adequately provide consistent and well-coordinated financing, and sufficient, ensured markets, as well as any liability protection for vaccine developers. 3 The threat of a biological attack is very real.4 To ensure that Project BioShield assists in protecting the nation from future bioterrorist attacks, it is necessary to evaluate the successes and setbacks the initiative has faced.