Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Emergent BioSolutions Hosts Biopreparedness Forum for Members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Emergent BioSolutions' senior management team, headed by Fuad El-Hibri, chairman and chief executive officer and Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi, president and chief operating officer, are hosting "Bioterrorism Prevention, Preparedness and Response," a forum uniquely organized for members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly (PA). The one-day event is an interactive discussion related to biopreparedness strategies and best practices such as funding, development, and manufacture of biodefense medical countermeasures, creation of strategic stockpiles, and cooperation within the international community.


"Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention and international cooperation in biodefense are of paramount importance. This forum organized by Emergent is extremely valuable in helping us, as national legislators, to obtain more information on biopreparedness and to promote the idea of strengthening national biodefense capabilities using the best practices and expertise developed by our Allies," said Canadian Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, NATO PA Treasurer and Vice Chairman of the NATO PA Science and Technology Committee. "We are firm believers in international mechanisms to address bioterrorism challenges."


The forum is to provide an overview of the United States' approach to bioterrorism prevention, the role of the Department of Defense and the importance of coordination of international efforts. Featured speakers include: Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI), Dr. Robert P. Kadlec, Director of PRTM Biodefense and Public Health Practice, Jim Saxton, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Dr. Tevi Troy, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The visiting delegation, led by NATO Officers of the Science and Technology Committee, is composed of parliamentarians from representative NATO nations including Canada, the Czech Republic, France, and Portugal. The forum is taking place in Washington, D.C.