ASPR Releases Five-Year Plan to Strengthen Medical Countermeasure Preparedness

Today, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), released the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Multiyear Budget (MYB) for fiscal years 2025–2029, outlining the resources needed to strengthen the nation’s medical countermeasure preparedness.

The multiyear budget highlights the investments needed across four HHS agencies – ASPR, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – to prepare for a wide range of threats—from pandemics and antimicrobial resistance to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. The total estimated funding need is $66.9 billion over five years.

“The PHEMCE Multiyear Budget reflects the continued importance of a coordinated, forward-looking approach to medical countermeasure preparedness,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Knox. “These investments will strengthen our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver lifesaving medical countermeasures when they are needed most.” The PHEMCE is an interagency body that evaluates the threat landscape and advises the HHS Secretary on priorities for developing, procuring, and deploying medical countermeasures. This MYB reflects the full scope of assessed resource needs and is intended to inform long-term planning alongside the President’s Budget.

The report highlights key priorities, including:

• Advancing threat-agnostic and multi-threat technologies, which account for approximately 65 percent of the total projected need

• Strengthening preparedness for emerging infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza and antimicrobial resistance

• Sustaining and expanding domestic manufacturing capacity to ensure rapid, scalable response capabilities

• Supporting the Strategic National Stockpile, including the transition and replenishment of critical MCMs

• Maintaining capabilities against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats while addressing new and evolving risks

The MYB also outlines the growing resource demands associated with transitioning newly developed products into the Strategic National Stockpile and sustaining existing inventories, alongside continued investment in research, development, and regulatory pathways.

The table below presents PHEMCE’s estimated funding needs by HHS Division and fiscal year (dollars in millions). FY 2025 reflects enacted levels, FY 2026 reflects the President’s Budget, and FY 2027–FY 2029 reflect PHEMCE’s estimates based on agency professional judgment.
 

These investments will help strengthen the nation’s ability to respond more quickly and effectively to future public health emergencies. Read the full multiyear budget here. 

# # #