Army awards Battelle $59 million for medical countermeasures against weaponized diseases

The U.S. Army Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense awarded Battelle a $59 million contract on Monday for medical countermeasures to combat infectious diseases affecting warfighters and the general public.

The grant is part of Battelle’s OASIS contract mechanism, which serves as the General Service Administration’s newest contracting vehicle open to all federal government agencies worldwide. It is a multiple award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity that provides flexible solutions for complex professional services.

Work covered in the contract includes the development of vaccines for potentially weaponized viruses such as plague, botulinum, equine encephalitis and filovirus. Additionally, it includes medical countermeasures against multiple nerve agents and poisonous toxins used in chemical warfare.

“We’re proud of the work we do at Battelle to protect people from threats like the Ebola and Zika viruses or ricin,” Julie Swick, general manager for Battelle’s Life Sciences Research group, said. “Our dedicated employees come into work every day knowing they are contributing solutions to important, worldwide problems.”

Battelle is the world’s largest nonprofit research and development group. It maintains a portfolio spanning multiple industries, including the industrial, energy and environment, health and pharmaceutical, and national security industries.