Video

Video by Erin Bolling

USAMRDC COVID-19 Capabilities

Medical Research and Development Command

Nov. 3, 2020 | 4:08

For over 60 years, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command has focused on protecting soldiers from emerging health threats.

The medical achievements of the U.S. Army have benefited people throughout the world and figured prominently in the areas of vaccine development and disease surveillance and treatment.

Today, USAMRDC is applying its historical knowledge and extensive expertise to the fight against COVID-19.

USAMRDC has supporting organizations all over the world that include subject matter experts on areas such as the development, testing, and evaluation of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, as well as unique regulatory, legal, programmatic, and clinical expertise in the manufacture of medical products, to support the whole-of-government approach to combating COVID-19.

The Command was quickly able to shift resources to be able to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, and USAMRDC made unprecedented scientific and medical contributions that include developing a coronavirus vaccine candidate that has the potential to be effective against all coronaviruses.

USAMRDC is working with industry partners who are developing and evaluating immunoassays to help determine who is immune and whether their antibody responses are protective;
who is not immune and may be at risk of infection for possible vaccine trials; and who has sufficient antibody levels, and therefore blood that can be used for treatment, such as convalescent plasma.

Various tests have been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of potential COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

USAMRDC was able to obtain Expanded Access Investigational New Drug and Emergency Use Authorization for the use of remdesivir and Expanded Access IND approval to use convalescent plasma.

USAMRDC published the highest quality structure of the COVID-19 virus spike, which is serving as a roadmap for vaccine and therapeutic development throughout the Department of Defense and industry.

A working group was established to support additive manufacturers across the DOD to produce, test, and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals from the Food and Drug Administration for the production of personal protective equipment and other medical devices.

Command laboratories validated and/or helped industry develop a group of tests to include high throughput confirmatory, clearance, antibody, and rapid diagnostic/point-of-care testing, and worked with industry partners to screen more than 41 million compounds for drug-like activity against COVID-19.

USAMRDC is also collaborating with industry to develop a combined SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and influenza test. This would add SARS-CoV-2 detection capability to a test already available to Military Treatment Facilities, greatly enhancing diagnostics during flu season.

These are just a few of the many projects USAMRDC is focused on to detect, prevent, and treat COVID-19.

As a member of the Army Futures Command, USAMRDC stands at the forefront of a number of key efforts to combat the coronavirus.

USAMRDC’s unique science, technology, development, and acquisition expertise is well positioned to battle the challenges of current and future medical threats to our Service members and their families.

From illness to injury, USAMRDC is the only organization solely focused on research, development and acquisition to address the military's unique medical readiness requirements.