Company awarded $1.3B by Trump to make vaccine syringes has not made even one

[riversedge]

Source: the hill





An Apiject spokesperson told NBC that the company "is working with several vaccine pharmaceutical companies to conduct the testing and regulatory reviews of Covid-19 vaccines in the ApiJect syringe."

By Adam Barnes | April 21, 2021


Story at a glance

A company awarded $1.3 billion by the Trump administration in part to produce syringes for COVID-19 vaccines has yet to make a single syringe a year later.
Connecticut based ApiJect Systems Corp., to date, has not received federal approval necessary to begin production.
Apiject was awarded $590 million in loans after then-President Trump used the Defense Authorization Act to spur production.

.............................

Connecticut based ApiJect Systems Corp, to date, has not received federal approval necessary to begin production, NBC reported. Additionally, the company has yet to build a factory, which was expected to employ nearly 650 people.

An Apiject spokesperson told NBC that the company "is working with several vaccine pharmaceutical companies to conduct the testing and regulatory reviews of Covid-19 vaccines in the ApiJect syringe." Apiject told the outlet that two vaccine manufacturers have asked for approval to use their syringes, although the company didn’t specify which vaccine makers...........................................


Despite failing to produce a syringe in 2020, Apiject met its commitments under federal contracts, NBC reported. This was achieved by securing a subcontractor ensuring the ability to make the syringes once approved by the FDA. The Pentagon and HHS both said the company is compliant with its contracts, according to the outlet.

Read more: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/549461-company-awarded-13-billion-by-trump-to-make

---

I do not know about this subcontracting issue--but seems to help the delays so they are within compliance??



Company awarded $1.3 billion by Trump to make vaccine syringes has not made even one | TheHill

The criminal malfeasance of this administration is going to keep piling up until someone goes to prison

This can never be allowed to happen again

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Irish_Dem]

1. What was Trump's cut on this huge sum?

[Delphinus]

2. Have they actaually

been paid? If so, I would think they owe the money back to the US government. I'm having a hard time reading and keeping things straight right now.

[mahina]

16. Good luck. That sounds terrible.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. STIM Loans were the biggest transfer of wealth UP the income scale

since Trump and Bush tax cuts. Operators who knew how to work the system got loans, forgiveable, pronto.

This sounds like part of the same coin.

[PatSeg]

4. ".....until someone goes to prison"?

I think I've seen this movie before. Remember all the people who went to prison because of "malfeasance" during the Bush administration? We just put it behind us and moved forward with little or no accountability.

[Chainfire]

5. For Republicans, it is just good business.

[Grins]

6. I'm very familiar with federal contracting.

A massive contract to quickly manufacture a product is given to a company that doesn’t even have a factory???

This violates the FAR’s requirements that the winning bidder is able to deliver. On a competitive bid, an opposing bidder could (Damn well SHOULD) point this out to the contracting officer and get the bidder disqualified from even submitting a bid.

This hints of a sole-source. And there is paperwork somewhere to justify it and the award.

[DENVERPOPS]

7. Same thing with another company

awarded a humongous amount of money up front to produce ventilators........With the contract stipulating the ventilators didn't have to be delivered for five years from now.......

Great work, if you can get it!

Without a doubt, Ivanka and Jared handled both of these........and grifted a huge commission for their "consulting" work......

[Delmette2.0]

8. Congress needs to get our money back

Any and every way they can!!!!

[NellieStarbuck]

9. Who owns this damned company? Ivanka?

[kimbutgar]

10. You know there was kick back money for MF45 and his family!

That said this contract needs to be cancelled and penalties need to be put on this company!

[keithbvadu2]

11. If $1.3B worth of syringes are needed, what are they using now?

If $1.3B worth of syringes are needed, what are they using now?

Is anyone complaining of shortages at this time?

[reACTIONary]

12. Apparently the syringes are inovative...

... They are to be prefilled with the vaccine to speed up deployment. This might be a good idea for mass vacination sites.

[keithbvadu2]

14. So innovative that they don't exist for use.

So innovative that they don't exist for use.

Now the surge of mass vaccinations seems to have slowed.

Still have many to go.

[reACTIONary]

17. Innovation takes time, effort and involves risk...

... especially in the area of medical apparatus. And there is nothing wrong with government supporting innovation and assuming some of the risk. Particularly when it comes to public health and safety, not to mention a public health crisis.

Sometimes we need to curb our twitter outrage, look at the bigger picture and think strategically. If these syringes work out they could be of great benefit, maybe soon, but also for the future.

[ga_girl]

15. Actually, yes people are complaining

But it's a really small population. Transgender women (and presumably men) who inject hormones are finding that syringes are in very tight supply and are much more expensive than pre-pandemic. A box of 100 1mL syringes has gone from $15 to $38.

[reACTIONary]

13. Some updates, further information...

ApiJect said in response to the initial report that the $590 million loan has not been awarded to date.

The company maintains that the reported $456 million loan was taken from contract language, adding that the contract allows ApiJect to seek up to $456 million.

ApiJect has met its commitments under federal contracts, NBC reported. This was achieved by securing a subcontractor ensuring the ability to make the syringes once approved by the FDA. The Pentagon and HHS both said the company is compliant with its contracts, according to the outlet.