BARDA doles out Medical Countermeasures Clinical Studies Network awards to four developers

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded contracts this week to ICON Government & Public Health Solutions, Pharm-Olam LLC, PRA Health Sciences, Inc., and Technical Resources International, Inc. for the development of various medical countermeasures.

Granted under the Medical Countermeasures Clinical Studies Network (CSN), these awards will support clinical trial plans and execution and develop these countermeasures. Clinical Trial Planning and Execution services are but one piece of CSN, though, which also encompasses a Biological Specimen and Investigational Product Storage Facility (BSIP); and a Statistical Data Coordinating Center.

The Statistical Data Coordinating Center will help standardize data collection, management, and analysis of studies utilizing the network. The Biological Specimen and Investigational Product Storage Facility will provide for long-term storage of clinical study specimens and investigational products from BARDA-supported studies. The data center contract was awarded to Federal Systems Division, Inc., and the storage facility contract went to ATCC Federal Solutions.

CSN, which has been a core service of BARDA since 2012, was established as a result of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006. The legislation supported developing and acquiring items like vaccines and therapeutics to prevent or treat the effects of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases.