DEFENSIVE MEASURES AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: DESCRIPTION

Biodefense

The biodefense industry commonly falls under the CBRNE acronym and includes defensive measures against infectious diseases. Biodefense takes the form of medical countermeasures such as vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics and other drug treatments, along with non-medical countermeasures in areas such as detection, protection, decontamination, modeling and simulation.

In the field of biodefense procurement, our recognized proficiency and success in assisting our clients to participate in Federal procurements positions us at the intersection of science, law and public policy, providing comprehensive solutions for our clients.  Both in securing government contracts and managing contacts for peak performance, McKenna Long & Aldridge is the proven go-to firm.

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

MLA is at the forefront of the initiatives on Capitol Hill related to the United States’ response to a pending influenza pandemic and the evolving nature of the government’s requirements.  As a result of our representation of more than two dozen companies targeting public health preparedness, we have been at the center of the debate for pandemic influenza planning.  Our attorneys have testified on numerous occasions (most recently on May 23, 2006) before Senate committees as authorities on liability mitigation during a pandemic and the need for policy changes to prepare the nation for an influenza pandemic. Our team members are active participants in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s pandemic preparedness working group, serve on the Chamber’s Homeland Security Task Force and have testified on behalf of the Chamber before the U.S. House of Representatives on the issue of liability reform and risk mitigation.

MLA’s pandemic influenza preparedness emergency planning capability is the latest development in the firm’s prominent and innovative Public Health Preparedness practice.  Over the years, MLA assisted in the drafting of the SAFETY Act, the first federal tort-reform law providing risk mitigation to providers of homeland security goods and services, and provided legislative strategy and legal support to assure its inclusion in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.  In addition, MLA played a leading role in the passage of the Project BioShield Act of 2004, a key initiative in President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address.  Project BioShield is a $5.6 billion effort to fund the development and purchase of countermeasures for chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological defense. 

MLA played a significant role in the design and passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which expands funding and coverage to include the advance development of early-stage products against emerging infectious diseases.  The Act also establishes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to issue contracts and grants for advanced research and development in an effort to guide promising countermeasures between applied research and advanced development. Funding for BARDA is subject to appropriations and provides additional capital investment to support Project BioShield, which already provides $5.6 billion over 10 years, to develop countermeasures to biological weapons and epidemics. Additionally, MLA recently led the drafting of the PREP Act, which was signed by President Bush on December 30, 2005, as part of the 2006 Defense Appropriations Act.  The PREP Act protects vaccine and pandemic countermeasure developers from massive law suits such as those that have previously crippled and eviscerated the vaccine industry.

Detection and Diagnostics

The president and Congress have given several key federal health agencies the task of developing critical research and detection responsibilities to assess the ability of the public health system to detect and act upon potential bio-threats, as well as coordinate appropriate planning through state and local health systems. The federal government has invested billions of dollars in pandemic and pathogen-detection systems and development.  MLA works with these key federal agencies to identify opportunities and funding sources for industry partners who are developing and supplying detection and diagnostic processes.

The primary areas of focus in detection and diagnostics include:

• Domestic Preparedness -- Public Health
• Domestic Preparedness -- Defense and Homeland Security Initiatives
• International Cooperation and Research

Scientific Advisory Services

McKenna Long & Aldridge maintains a full-time, science advisor who assists clients with high-profile public health preparedness projects.  Thus, McKenna Long & Aldridge possesses the ability to translate the underlying science of our clients’ technologies and marry it to the appropriate government programs, requirements, priorities and funding opportunities.