BASED MEDIMMUNE, WHICH MAKES A NEEDLE-FREE, NASAL-SPRAY VACCINE, SAID IT WOULD EXPAND ITS FACILITIES. "WE PLAN TO EXPAND OUR DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING CAPACITY BY ESTABLISHING A CELL-BASED FACILITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT CAN PRODUCE AT LEAST 150 MILLION DOSES WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF NOTIFICATION OF AN INFLUENZA PANDEMIC," SAID DAVID MOTT, MEDIMMUNE'S PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. THE COMPANY PLANS TO LAUNCH A STUDY IN JUNE TESTING IF ITS TECHNOLOGY WORKS ON A POTENTIAL PANDEMIC STRAIN, HE SAID. SWISS-BASED NOVARTIS "WILL BE INVESTING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN HIGHLY SKILLED RESEARCHERS TO SET UP ONE OF THE FIRST FLU CELL CULTURE MANUFACTURING SITES IN THE U.S," CHIEF EXECUTIVE DANIEL VASELLA SAID IN A STATEMENT. LAST YEAR, HHS AWARDED SANOFI PASTEUR A $97 MILLION CONTRACT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A CELL-BASED VACCINE. LEAVITT SAID HE HAD NOT YET GRANTED LIABILITY PROTECTION TO THE MANUFACTURERS BUT HE SAID IT WAS LIKELY TO HAPPEN. A WATCHDOG GROUP CRITICIZED REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS FOR GIVING THE SECRETARY THE POWER TO GRANT THAT IMMUNITY. PUBLIC CITIZEN'S CONGRESS WATCH SAID IN A REPORT THAT NEWLY OBTAINED E-MAILS FROM THE BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION (BIO) SHOWED THE INDUSTRY WAS HEAVILY CONSULTED IN CRAFTING LEGISLATION TO ALLOW FOR LIABILITY PROTECTION. "THE LOBBYISTS WERE TOTALLY INTEGRATED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS," PUBLIC CITIZEN PRESIDENT JOAN CLAYBROOK SAID, ADDING IT WAS A "TOTALLY EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE" OF INDUSTRY POWER OVER LAWMAKERS.
