Supply chain and logistics have bedeviled COVID-19 testing efforts on a national basis since the pandemic began. On Feb. 5, the federal government took steps to address the supply chain challenge via collaboration of key agencies. The first move: publication of an Area of Interest (AoI) notice soliciting proposals for the funding of projects designed to streamline, expand and scale the manufacture and distribution of diagnostic testing equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE). The Federal Collaboration Four federal government agencies with direct ties to the diagnostics supply chain are participating in the new initiative, including: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (Office of the Assistant Secretary (OASH)); The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); The National Institute of Health (NIH) Rapid Acquisition of Diagnostics (RADx)); and The U.S. Air Force (USAF). The mission of the collaboration is to understand and improve the diagnostics industry’s capability “to rapidly mature and scale specific manufacturing capabilities within the diagnostic testing supply chain.” The AoI solicitation targets different stakeholders in the testing supply chain, such as sample collection and consumables makers, suppliers of raw materials and components, and developers of equipment, asking them to propose projects to expand manufacturing capacity and/or…
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