In Senate Coronavirus Hearing, Loeffler Asks About Private Sector’s Role
Loeffler Questions Witnesses About Private-Public Partnerships and Innovation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) questioned government officials about the relationship between government agencies and the private sector in addressing the outbreak of the coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19.
In the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing, Loeffler asked witnesses about the role private sector innovation can play in protecting the American people and preventing the spread of disease. The officials, all of whom represent agencies responsible for the nation’s response to the coronavirus, included: Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institute of Health Dr. Anthony Fauci, Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response Dr. Robert Kadlec, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn. All four witnesses agreed private sector innovation plays a key role in combatting the spread of the coronavirus.
Click here or on the picture above to watch Loeffler’s line of questioning
Transcript:
Senator Loeffler: What can we do, however, to ensure that the private sector supports the response, and in these situations going forward that these innovations can quickly reach the American people?
Dr. Schuchat: We have been taking steps to reach out the private sector community and just yesterday, I was on a call with over a thousand companies about what this epidemic means to them and also how they can help. A few of us met with the pharmaceutical industry yesterday and a number of big companies about both drugs and therapeutics. Knowing that you are from Georgia, we have a really phenomenal collaboration with Georgia Tech’s research institute. Really they help us modernize the data challenges that plagued the public health. So those are a few areas to mention.
Dr. Fauci: Just to underscore, I was encouraged by the enthusiasm of the CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies yesterday when we met at the cabinet room of the White House. It was really very gratifying to see the fact that they really wanted to do anything they could to help with us. As I mentioned in response to a previous question, we’re not going to get the kind of production of interventions unless we partner with pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Kadlec: If I could just comment, one thing. Two programs within ASPR: BARDA DRIVe and ASPR Next are two things that are looking specifically at innovations around medical counter measures and other things that would enhance our responses. BARDA DRIVe basically met with 1,500 companies looking for particular things, diagnostics to work on this and ASPR Next is looking particularly on the supply chain issues as it relates to pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Hahn: We have been working with diagnostic companies, with vaccines, biologics, with drug manufacturers – both around the shortages issue but the development of products – to address this outbreak.
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