Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats

The briefing analyzes Operation Warp Speed (OWS) to provide recommendations for strengthening the U.S. industrial base for medical countermeasures. It advocates for an 'ecosystem approach' that integrates platform technologies like mRNA, supports small innovative biotech companies, and maintains Advanced Development and Manufacturing (ADM) facilities. The authors propose establishing annual exercise programs to reduce development timelines and improving public-private partnerships to ensure the U.S. can design and approve vaccines within 100 days of detecting a pandemic threat.

• Operation Warp Speed (OWS) successfully developed and deployed COVID-19 vaccines within 11 months of researchers receiving the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence. This was achieved by selecting candidates with different immunological mechanisms, conducting animal studies and clinical trials in parallel, and initiating large-scale manufacturing during trials supported by government purchase orders.
• The U.S. government has set ambitious targets to design, test, and approve safe vaccines within 100 days of detecting a pandemic threat, and to manufacture enough doses for the world within 200 days.
• A sustainable medical countermeasure ecosystem requires the continued support of Advanced Development and Manufacturing (ADM) facilities, the use of multipurpose biofoundries in dispersed cities, and the maintenance of assets in academic labs, National Labs, and nonprofits.
• Small and innovative companies face significant hurdles in contributing to federal efforts due to the complexity of government contracts and the inadequacy of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, which are often too small or arrive too late.
• The U.S. should implement an annual exercise program to practice countermeasure development and production, with the goal of halving the time OWS took to produce vaccines.
• U.S. research and vaccine development sites have been targeted by cyber actors and collectors associated with the People's Republic of China and Russian Intelligence Services.

APA

Lim, Y.-B., & Parthemore, C. (2021). Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Key-U.S.-Initiatives-for-Addressing-Biological-Threats-Part-5_The-Future-Industrial-Base-for-Rapid-Medical-Countermeasure_BRIEFER-25_2021_09_06.pdf

Chicago

Lim, Yong-Bee, and Christine Parthemore. Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Key-U.S.-Initiatives-for-Addressing-Biological-Threats-Part-5_The-Future-Industrial-Base-for-Rapid-Medical-Countermeasure_BRIEFER-25_2021_09_06.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lim |first1=Yong-Bee |last2=Parthemore |first2=Christine |title=Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=6 September 2021 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Key-U.S.-Initiatives-for-Addressing-Biological-Threats-Part-5_The-Future-Industrial-Base-for-Rapid-Medical-Countermeasure_BRIEFER-25_2021_09_06.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lim2021key, author = {Lim, Yong-Bee and Parthemore, Christine}, title = {{Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Key-U.S.-Initiatives-for-Addressing-Biological-Threats-Part-5_The-Future-Industrial-Base-for-Rapid-Medical-Countermeasure_BRIEFER-25_2021_09_06.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }