January 22, 2010
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has selected PRTM Management Consultants of Washington, D.C., to provide support for an end-to-end review of the way the department’s approach to medical countermeasures.
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requested the review in order to improve research, development, purchasing, and distribution of medicine, vaccine, medical equipment, and medical supplies – known collectively as medical countermeasures – needed in public health emergencies such as pandemics and bioterrorism.
Under approximately $750,000 contract, PRTM Management Consultants will support the review in three ways:
- Collating information on the status and issues in research laboratories’ ability to provide a robust pipeline of candidate products for development. In addition,
- Examining the current incentives or barriers to attracting large, experienced pharmaceutical industry partners to participate in developing these products from the initial research through FDA-approval.
- Using cases studies of successful and failed attempts to develop these products to examine the government’s approach.
Information gained from this work will be analyzed, along with information from public workshops and from other government agencies, to identify opportunities and methods to improve the federal government approach.
The review is scheduled to be complete by March 31.
