Posted on 11/01/2020 4:44:28 PM PST by Jyotishi
When the Trump administration gave a well-connected Republican donor seed money to test a possible COVID-19-fighting blood plasma technology, it noted the company's “manufacturing facilities” in Charleston, South Carolina.
Plasma Technologies LLC is indeed based in the stately waterfront city. But there are no manufacturing facilities. Instead, the company exists within the luxury condo of its majority owner, Eugene Zurlo.
Zurlo's company may be in line for as much as $65 million in taxpayer dollars; enough to start building an actual production plant, according to internal government records and other documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The story of how a tiny business that exists only on paper has managed to snare attention from the highest reaches of the U.S. Military and government is emblematic of the Trump administration's frenetic response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It's also another in a series of contracts awarded to people with close political ties to key officials despite concerns voiced by government scientists. Among the others: an ill-conceived $21 million study of Pepcid as a COVID therapy and more than a half billion dollars to ApiJect Systems America, a startup with an unapproved medicine injection technology and no factory to manufacture the devices.
In addition, a government whistleblower claimed that a $1.6 billion vaccine contract to Novavax Inc. Was made over objections of scientific staff.
At the center of these deals is Dr. Robert Kadlec, a senior Trump appointee at the Department of the Health and Human Services who backed the Pepcid, Novavax and ApiJect projects. Records obtained by the AP also describe Kadlec as a key supporter of Zurlo's company. In one government email obtained by the AP, an official said Kadlec, whose job as assistant secretary for preparedness and response is to help guide the nation through public health emergencies, was “all in” on Plasma Technologies.
This was the case despite misgivings from the scientists he oversees. One of them said the company would be just another “mouth to feed” that would distract from other important work on the pandemic. An HHS spokesperson said Kadlec “does not have a role in technical review of proposals nor in negotiating contracts.”
Kadlec has come under pressure from the White House to act with more urgency and not be bound by lower-level officials whom Trump has castigated as the “deep state” and accused of politically motivated delays in fielding COVID-19 vaccines and remedies. This pressure has led to investments in numerous untested companies. The AP reached out to more than a dozen blood plasma industry leaders and medical experts. Few had heard of Zurlo's company or its technology, and would not comment.
Zurlo, the company's founder and a former pharmaceutical industry executive, told the AP in an email that the renewed interest in his company is being driven by COVID and other diseases. “It is increasingly clear that the collection of adequate supplies of plasma is not possible; the answer being the adoption of new process technology that fully utilizes the scarce plasma currently available,” he said.
But whether Zurlo's technology, which claims to increase the amount of disease-fighting plasma harvested from human blood, will be an improvement over other methods is still anyone's guess.
And, for a time, Edison’s lab was in his home. So what?
And, for a time, Edison’s lab was in his home. So what?
We’re being treated to all kind of surprises on the eve of the election, aren’t we? I can see people falling all over themselves to get the most despicable headline out there. Old scandals (Bidens) have been washed away - everything is new now just waiting for the day before election!
Does “Solyndra” ring a bell?
I’m waiting for a “surprise” replacement of Joe by Hillary.
Steve Jobs started in his garage.
The Barf alert is well deserved for this article. 8>)
How long before some reporterette whines about Trump using a plasma cutter to fight covid?
“”I’m waiting for a “surprise” replacement of Joe by Hillary.””
As bad as we can imagine, that would be the WORST!
Most university research labs have no production facilities either, so not clear what the point is.
Actually what Gates did was to buy DOS for around 10K. I do not consider them founders as that term implies they built something from scratch. Now if you said they invested in technology to start a company that began in their garage that would be more apropos than the term founder.
You are confused.
I am talking about Apple.
You are talking about Microsoft.
Two different companies with totally different founders and totally different histories.
Wanna try again?
Did the AP write a scathing article about Obama giving billions to the Iranian leaders or did they consider this okay for a President to do even knowing that money could be used to hurt Americans? No? I don’t think the AP has a very good record of reporting the truth.
I’m sure, absolutely sure, Trump was sitting at his desk writing out checks to all his friends from the government checkbook.
Jobs and Gates are two birds of the same feather. Neither invented anything for a company they started. Not confused at all. Both get credit for other people’s inventions.
Ever heard of Hurst 4 speed shifters???
Hurst JAWS OF LIFE???
George Hurst started his company in a one car garage in Pennsylvania.
H P was started in a garage.
Hendrick Motorsports was started in a garage-—and now is still in a GARAGE!!! Over 650 employees on that racing team.
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