Official announcements or policy updates from the White House or related federal agencies.

White House Issues New Federally-Funded Pandemic Pathogen Research Policy Amid Criticism

May 8, 2024, 09:58 AM

The White House has officially released a new policy aimed at regulating dual-use research and potential pandemic pathogen research, specifically targeting federally-funded studies. This policy, which has been long anticipated, seeks to address gaps in previous guidelines and provide clearer direction for research that could potentially make pathogens like the H5N1 avian influenza virus more dangerous. Despite intentions to enhance safety and oversight, several critics, including researchers and advisory bodies who conducted listening sessions from stakeholders, have expressed concerns that the policy's complexity and its narrow definition of 'potential pandemic pathogen' could exempt many studies from thorough risk-benefit analysis, potentially making the public less safe.