ASPR 2020 Year in Review

ASPR Takes Action to Protect the Nation from COVID-19
and Other Public Health Threats

National Disaster Medical System team at the Javits Center in New York during the COVID-19 outbreak

Following the HHS Secretary’s announcement of a nationwide public health emergency on January 31, 2020, ASPR spearheaded the development of an innovative COVID-19 medical countermeasure program; deployed personnel to support quarantine facilities, hospitals, and healthcare facilities across the nation; and provided critical equipment to meet surge demands, save lives, and protect the American people from the virus.

Medical Countermeasures to Combat the Pandemic

ASPR has worked to support the development, procurement, and distribution of medical countermeasures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020, BARDA entered into 116 new partnerships to fight the virus, investing more than $20 billion in development and/or procurement of 74 products.

Diagnostics

HHS/ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has increased availability and diversity of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, leveraging existing platform technologies used in labs, supporting the development of in-home test options, and more.

40 COVID-19 diagnostic tests
Forty COVID-19 diagnostic tests received development support from BARDA

18 FDA Emergency Use Authorizations granted
Eighteen FDA Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) were granted for BARDA-supported COVID-19 diagnostic tests in 2020

80+ million BARDA-supported COVID-19 diagnostic tests
More than 80 million BARDA-supported COVID-19 diagnostic tests were shipped by our partners in 2020

Therapeutics

ASPR has supported the development and distribution of safe and effective therapeutics to treat COVID-19 patients.

ASPR has developed, acquired, and allocated monoclonal antibody therapeutics, which can help keep COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms from needing hospitalization. To help get therapeutic products into the hands of healthcare providers quickly, ASPR allocated the first doses of Veklury, a therapeutic product used to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

650,000 patient courses of Veklury
650,000 patient courses of Veklury allocated to state and territorial health departments

530,000+ patient courses of monoclonal antibody therapeutics

More than 530,000 patient courses of monoclonal antibody therapeutics allocated to state and territorial health departments

2 products purchased in advance of authorization
Two products purchased in advance of authorization to better position the nation to provide post-exposure protection and treat hospitalized patients

520,000+ units of convalescent plasma collected
Over 520,000 units of convalescent plasma collected, most were used locally

Vaccines

BARDA has funded the development and procurement of a robust portfolio of vaccines to protect the American people.

6 COVID-19 vaccines
Six COVID-19 vaccine candidates received research and development funding from BARDA

6 COVID-19 vaccine candidates

BARDA supported large-scale manufacturing production of six vaccine candidates

11 months
Eleven months from BARDA’s investment in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to FDA’s approval under EUA

6 million+ COVID-19 vaccine
ancillary supply and mixing kits
More than six million COVID-19 vaccine ancillary supply and mixing kits produced, stored and distributed under contract with McKesson Corporation

Rallying Responders and Volunteers to Fight the Pandemic

ASPR personnel worked alongside our federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal partners, saving lives from New York to the Navajo Nation to Alaska to Guam and points between.

In coordination with the Department of State, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ASPR worked to bring Americans home from Wuhan, China and from a cruise ship in Japan following the initial outbreak of the virus, deploying thousands of responders from the National Disaster Medical System. We continue working with our partners in communities across the country to protect health and save lives.

2,500+ response personnel deployed
More than 2,500 response personnel deployed to areas of greatest need

800,000 volunteer hours from 450+
Medical Reserve Corps units
More than 800,000 volunteer hours from more than 450 Medical Reserve Corps units

3,000+ individuals brought home
More than 3,000 individuals brought home during repatriation and quarantine missions

Bringing Critical Equipment to the Front Lines of Health

ASPR left no stone unturned to acquire the necessary personal protective equipment, medical equipment, and supplies for the nation’s frontline workers.

90% of existing inventory of personnel protective equipment deployed
Ninety percent of existing inventory of personnel protective equipment was deployed from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all 50 states and 8 territories

100% of Federal Medical Stations deployed
All of the SNS's Federal Medical Stations were
deployed

150,000 ventilators and 190 million N95 respirators
150,000 ventilators and 190 million N95 respirators purchased to restock the SNS

1,750 ventilators supplied to 900 rural hospitals
Approximately 1,750 ventilators supplied to 900 rural hospitals

ASPR Meets Challenges Beyond COVID-19

While working to save lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, ASPR continued to respond to other disasters and spearhead new public health initiatives.

Disaster Response

ASPR deployed hundreds of federal disaster responders and 108 tons of medical equipment and supplies to lead and support field operations at disaster sites.


9 Hurricanes	1 Earthquake	2 States Fighting Wildfires	7 National Special Security Events

Other Public Health and Medical Initiatives

Third location in the Regional Disaster Health Response System pilot programs
Two pilot programs under the Pediatric Disaster Care Initiative
Strengthening the U.S.-based manufacturing capacity of influenza vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients and other raw materials for medical countermeasures
Development of cell-based influenza vaccine (influenza A - H5N1)
Portfolio of 2nd generation blood products focused on safety, availability, and usability