Thursday Afternoon

I'm on tilt here.

OK, here we go: Ebola "cured-ish", if treatment is early. This is a BFD, and to whom do we owe thanks? The US taxpayer and, well, terrorism-inspired paranoia.

From the Times:

A Cure for Ebola? Two New Treatments Prove Highly Effective in Congo

The therapies saved roughly 90 percent of the patients who were newly infected, a turning point in the decades-long fight against the virus.

...

REGN-EB3 is made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals of Tarrytown, N.Y., which also makes other antibody treatments. Dr. Fauci’s institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, developed mAb114 and licensed production last year to Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, a Miami company.

[LONG Skip and...]

Development of the new treatments was supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with fighting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, and pandemic diseases.

Your tax dollars at work! In partnership with two private companies, so something for everyone. Come 2021 President Bernie will be investigating these companies and fining or jailing them for not having finished this sooner, but let's focus on the now. Here is HHS announcing the new trial last year:

Actions under Project BioShield could protect health from bioterrorism, naturally occurring outbreaks

 

Hundreds of thousands of Americans could be protected from or treated for Ebola infections through the first purchase of vaccines and therapeutic drugs by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA ), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response  (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The vaccines and drugs are the first for Ebola to receive Project BioShield  funding which supports late-stage development toward licensure and stockpile purchases.

 

“Today we are prepared to add four Ebola countermeasures to the stockpile whereas three years ago, very few products were even in early stages of development,” BARDA Director Rick Bright, Ph.D., said. “This marks a pivotal moment in U.S. and global preparedness for future public health emergencies from viral hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola. We reached this point at unprecedented speed, and that’s a direct result of innovative approaches to product development and to partnering across the U.S. government, other nations, and private industry.”

 

Ebola  is considered a potential bioterrorism threat by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as well as a naturally occurring public health threat. Natural Ebola outbreaks occur most often in African countries, the most recent, from 2014 through 2016. According to the World Health Organization, during that outbreak more than 28,600 cases of Ebola virus infection were suspected, probable or confirmed and more than 11,000 people died.

Don't run out and buy Regeneron (REGN) stock, however- no one is sure whether or how they will make money on this.

And the other winner, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics? As best I can tell it is owned and funded by a doctor and his wife, a health care investor, both of whom seem to have struck it rich as hedge fund heroes and are running this company to do good:

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics is a privately held, majority woman owned biotechnology company focused on orphan and infectious diseases.  Life to date, all funding for Ridgeback Biotherapeutics has originated from Wayne and Wendy Holman; two science driven individuals who invest in technologies that they believe will make the world a better place.  The team at Ridgeback is dedicated to working toward finding life-saving and life changing solutions for patients and diseases that need champions.

Yeah, take THAT, Bill and Melinda Gates!

OK, good for them, good for us, and thank you. (Now, Bernie, lock 'em up, amirite!)

 

 

Comments

[MissMarple3]

The White House budget office on Thursday evening sent a proposal to trim unspent foreign assistance funds by “north of $4 billion” to the State Department for review, according to a senior administration official.

The final price tag of the rescissions package, which could also target unspent balances at the U.S. Agency for International Development, would likely change before being formally submitted to Capitol Hill, the official said.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/white-house-readies-4-billion-foreign-aid-cuts-package

==============================
Why the objection to cutting UNSPENT money?

[Jane]

That also reminds me that four weeks from yesterday will be the 10th anniversary of the 9/12 March. Flashbacks anyone?

That was so much fun! I loved it! My biggest memories are sitting with you and Mrs MT talking to your senator (or house) friend.

[Jane]

That's still service MM. You showed up.

[Jane]

Holy cow hrtshpdbox!

[Jane]

My other favorite thing from that day is Clarice's luncheon, which was spectacular.

[caro]

My favorite memory of 9/12...Mrs. MT’s sign
CZARS CZUCK.

The bad thing about the Kindle is you can’t see what people sitting in the deck chairs are reading.

[Manuel Transmission]

Jane, that was Nancy S. Her 2nd hubby was Congresscritter for suburban Philly and both fierce Conservatives. Haven’t seen them in a few years. They now live near my sis in NC and hope to visit this Thanksgiving.

Back story: I instigating the sporting clays event in Phx maybe 15 yrs ago where I met Tammy and her Linda Carter lookalike pal. Dick S. was also on that excursion and we hit it off right away. Fun times.

[Manuel Transmission]

Caro! You guys back from yr honeymoon?

Mrs MT still has that sign on the wall in my garage mahal.

[Alex]

Several questions for the group . Did FBI contact google for the gmail account and from which ip addresses they were accessed and if the attached e-mails could be retrieved.

Who has been organizing the hong Kong protests with the sophistication to direct lasers at facial recognition cameras and how are they communicating past the chinese censors. Too much sophistication for it to being organic. Blowback is a bitch and maybe 4d is required to see where the moles are.

[Jane]

I was thinking about those signs ManTran. Boy we had fun/

[Jane]

Good questions Alex.

[Jane]

New! And I won!

[Alex]

Talking about Daddy and the last hookup. I took the subway for that strand hookup the day before he died and of course got there 2:40 rather than 2:30 and did not copy the phone number that Daddy posted in JOM .Never met and went you must be sh****ing me when Jane posted that he died.

[henry]

Dang Alex. So close.

New thread.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Is it just me or does the pressure cooker guy look like an illegitimate son of Weiner perv?

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

New