The race to develop a coronavirus vaccine and treatment

Can the solution be found in Israel?

Across the world, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine and a treatment to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. With the sharp shift in countries, priorities, and the effect on how we work, travel, learn and shop – the economic impact will undoubtedly have a global effect.

According to the World Health Organization, it received, to date, applications for review and approval of 40 diagnostics tests, 20 vaccines are in development and many clinical trials of therapeutics are underway. A mix of well-established pharmaceutical companies and small start-ups has stepped forward with plans to develop vaccines and treatments. Such research and development efforts require substantial funding that most countries are struggling to allocate for those important efforts.

With US President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over the coronavirus, the US administration and Congress have accelerated response and unlocked additional resources to assist federal and state governments, hospitals and small businesses in addressing the effects of the pandemic, and to provide funding and resources for research and development of vaccines and treatments. While more sweeping legislative and regulatory stimulus efforts are on their way, a few important resources have recently become available.

On March 6, Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriation Act. The bill – receiving near unanimous support in both the House and Senate – provides an $8.3 billion package to fund federal agencies’ response to coronavirus. The $6.7b. to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) includes more than $2b. for the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, prioritizing platform-based technologies with the US-based manufacturing capabilities. Funding also includes $836m. for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which conducts research on therapies, vaccines, diagnostics and other health technologies at the National Institute of Health. Another $61m. were provided to the Food and Drug Administration for the development and review of vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices and countermeasures, to address potential supply chain interruptions, and support enforcement of counterfeit products. Additionally, $300m. were provided in contingency funding for the procurement of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. The bill also provides $1.6b. for international response.

The bill requires that vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds must be available for purchase by the federal government at a fair and reasonable price. It also allows the Secretary of HHS to ensure that vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds be affordable in the commercial market.

And, with Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on March 13th, FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was allocating up to $50b. dollars in funding to be used, among other purposes, to provide supplies, testing kits and logistics assistance to the states.

Currently in the US, there are several companies that have already obtained funding for their research and development efforts from BARDA and NIAID. Others have received funds from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global organization based in Oslo, or have been funding trials by themselves or through partnerships with other life science companies.

Israel’s biotechnology industry is undoubtedly one of its renowned innovation pillars. Israeli companies that are working on solutions to tackle COVID-19, may wish to look into the current US funding opportunities and explore if such might be applicable for their potential solutions, whether it is research and development of a vaccine, therapeutic, or other environmental cleaning, disinfecting, personal protective equipment and supplies for hospitals and public spaces.

Obtaining such funding will not be an easy task. However, if those resources could contribute to the success of an Israeli company in the global race for containing the coronavirus – and send healing to the world from Israel – would there be a better tikkun olam (Jewish concept of perfecting the world)?

The writer is a cochairwoman who, together with cochairman, former US congressman Ron Klein, Esq., serve in the Israel practice in the US law firm of Holland & Knight LLP.