Private-sector research could pose a pandemic risk. Here’s what to do about it

Authors

Gerald L. Epstein, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Abstract

In 2018, Canadian academics with pharmaceutical industry funding made a stunning announcement. They had synthesized horsepox, a pathogen that no longer exists in nature and that is closely related to the smallpox virus, variola. The controversial product was meant as a vaccine candidate—intended to infect humans and confer immunity without being transmissible or pathogenic—but the biotechnology involved in its production could readily have been applied to create a pathogen with the potential to start a deadly pandemic.

Document Type

Article

Topic(s)

Biological and Chemical Issues

Publication Date

2-16-2023

Recommended Citation

Epstein, Gerald L., "Private-sector research could pose a pandemic risk. Here’s what to do about it" (2023). Articles and Op-Eds. 5.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/wmdcenter-articles/5