With over 45,000 new cases a day, the US is very far from flattening the Covid-19 curve. But if the government came short when it comes to containing the epidemic, it is sparing no efforts in supporting medical research.
On July 6, the US government announced an investment of $1.6 billion to support pharmaceutical company Novartex in the development of 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by early 2021.
This is just the latest large investment made by the US in Covid-19 medical research: Since Feb. 11, the US government has handed out nearly $5 billion in funding, most of which in vaccine development.
The money is flowing through several different agencies — including the departments of Defense and Health and Human Services — and it isn’t always clear (including to the very administration) where specific funds are coming from. In June, for instance, Novartex had already been awarded a $60 million from the Defense Department to deliver 10 million doses of the vaccine — which is yet to complete its trial — by the end of 2020.
Still, so far the official list of investments made by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) comprises 54 projects, from vaccines, to treatments, to diagnostics, and BARDA is making investment including in scaling up the supply of glass to satisfy the needs of vaccine and drug producers.
Below, in detail, are the grants that have been awarded: