U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) recently requested information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on specific U.S. laboratory capacity that would allow for preclinical animal model research to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the lawmakers requested that the CDC provide complete, updated information on domestic capacity at BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal BSL (ABSL)-3 laboratories. Those are among the four main biosafety levels — with BSL-4 posing the highest risk to biosafety  — for laboratory research on biological agents set by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, according to their Nov. 18 letter sent to CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.

“It is critical for the nation’s response to the pandemic to have the best understanding of the totality of such research assets in the U.S. in order to improve access for researchers, maximize research opportunities for identifying medical advances for COVID-19, bring in any underutilized laboratories to help relieve burdens on overworked research entities, and understand through traditional gap analysis whether there is appropriate high-containment laboratory capacity for biodefense strategic planning,” wrote Rep. Walden, ranking member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee; Rep. Burgess, ranking member of the U.S. House E&C Health Subcommittee; and U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican leader. 

The lawmakers noted that while research on COVID-19 requires laboratories with BSL-3 or greater capabilities, there currently is not comprehensive data available with regard to current BSL-3 and ABSL-3 lab capacity, despite ongoing increased demand due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

Worse, because of this lack of complete capacity information, the limited capacity of ABSL-3 labs cannot be managed effectively, according to their nine-page letter to Redfield. “The lack of information on BSL-3 laboratory capacity is of concern because it may be contributing to delays and bottlenecks in preclinical COVID-19 research,” they wrote.