ASPR Releases Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise Multiyear Budget Assessment for ​​​FY 2023-2027

Today, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) released the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Multiyear Budget (MYB) for fiscal years 2023-2027. The report assesses funding needs to support medical countermeasure priorities, which would allow the U.S. Government to prepare for the next public health threat. The MYB projects an estimated overall funding need of $79.5 billion over the five-year period, an increase of $15.5 billion over the 2022-2026 report. The MYB is not a budget request and does not replace funding levels requested in the President’s Budget or accompanying documents.

The MYB forecasts to Congress and external stakeholders the funding required to fully prepare the country for a range of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, without regard to the competing priorities considered in the President’s Budget. The MYB also illustrates the support needed for other key priorities — such as supporting innovative approaches to medical countermeasure (MCM) development and fostering clear, scientifically supported regulatory pathways for MCMs.

“A strong medical countermeasure enterprise will allow us to respond more effectively and efficiently to the next public health emergency,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. “The PHEMCE Multiyear Budget serves as a useful tool for Congress to know just how much funding is needed to protect the country from whatever comes next.”

The primary drivers of this report’s $15.5 billion increase are the anticipated implementation of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) prototype pathogen approach for the development of candidate vaccines, ASPR Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)’s development successes enabling the transition of 13 MCMs into the stockpile, and improvements to threat-agnostic technologies and rapid response capabilities.

The MYB is informed by the PHEMCE, an interagency body that reviews the current threat landscape, provides technical expertise, and makes recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to inform MCM decision-making. The 2023-2027 updated report was developed with an emphasis on addressing existing preparedness gaps and meeting goals outlined in the National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan for Countering Biological Threats, Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness, and Achieving Global Health Security.

ASPR looks forward to working with Congress to overcome challenges and ensure America is prepared for whatever threat is around the corner.

Collectively, the priorities identified in the MYB will build capabilities and advance the development, procurement, and sustainment of medical countermeasures. Read the full multiyear budget here.