Federal agencies
The recent pandemic has made federal agencies, researchers, industries, and the public realize the value of having a system in place ready to tackle and meet the needs from a biopharmaceutical manufacturing standpoint. Especially the need to have a pipeline for established therapeutics in the form of antibodies and vaccines, advanced devices and testing and analysis that are highly adaptable, easily scalable and interchangeable with various existing and emerging platforms, and can be manufactured in high volumes in a short-term at reduced costs.
Researchers and scientists in both academia and industries have realized the need to have pre-established networks to respond quickly to new funding opportunities from industry and federal agencies as they attempt to address the nation’s national health care needs, including those that arise from pandemics. A recent example is the additional funding that NIST has provided to NIIMBL to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is intended to address biopharmaceutical manufacturing of therapeutics and medical equipment to respond, prevent, and protect from pandemics. This includes testing methods, potential therapeutics to treat the disease, and robust, accessible vaccines to protect the general public from future outbreaks.