In the last days of the Obama administration

Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is releasing “Recommended Policy Guidance for Departmental Development of Review Mechanisms for Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO).” Adoption of these recommendations will satisfy the requirements for lifting the current moratorium on certain life sciences research that could enhance a pathogen’s virulence and/or transmissibility to produce a potential pandemic pathogen (an enhanced PPP).

In particular, the recommended policy guidance implements the NSABB’s call for a pre-funding review mechanism for certain research proposals. …

Second, given that studies involving enhanced PPP are often described as “dual use” research, HHS is currently conducting a review of the implementation of policies for the oversight of dual use research of concern (DURC).