HHS announced it has awarded nearly $40 million to four companies that will form a fill and finish manufacturing network to speed influenza vaccine manufacturing in a pandemic.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response awarded contracts totaling approximately $39.8 million to Cook Pharmica in Bloomington, Ind., JHP Pharmaceuticals in Parsippany, N.J., DSM Pharmaceuticals in Greenville, N.C., and Nanotherapeutics in Alachua, Fla.
The companies will complete the final steps in the vaccine manufacturing process, potentially increasing national capacity to produce the flu vaccine by 20 percent, according to the news release.
HHS is also investing nearly $40 million in five burn treatments that will be developed to improve the United States' ability to respond to a chemical, radiological, or nuclear incident, according to a news release.
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