Bush signs BioShield bill

On Wednesday, President Bush signed legislation that includes Project BioShield, a program that is intended to stimulate the development of countermeasures to biological weapons. BioShield provides $5.6 billion over 10 years for the purchase of next-generation countermeasures against anthrax and smallpox as well as other chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents. The legislation grants NIH increased authority and flexibility to award contracts and grants for R&D on countermeasures and gives FDA authority to approve countermeasures based on animal data if efficacy cannot be tested in humans. ...