HHS has awarded several contracts to help physicians diagnose influenza more quickly and accurately, helping boost influenza pandemic preparedness.
The contracts, awarded by HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, seek to support development of diagnostic capabilities in near-patient care settings.
Waltham, Mass.-based Alere received a 3.5-year, $12.9 million contract to advance the development of a low-cost molecular test that could deliver results within 15 minutes and identify which seasonal influenza virus is causing the infection. Boulder, Colo.-based InDevR received a 2-year, $7.9 million contract to advance a biochip test that identifies seasonal influenza viruses and can detect novel flu viruses within four hours.
"Administering fast and inexpensive tests at the point of care has tangible benefits to personal and public health, particularly in helping doctors prescribe the right therapy immediately," said Robin Robinson, PhD, director of ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the department overseeing the development programs. "Prescribing medication or other therapies in a more targeted way is good stewardship and will be critical to reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance."
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