The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the award of contracts totaling $55.3 million to four companies for the advanced development of anthrax antitoxins, therapeutics and antibiotics for use against plague and tularemia.

The new Biological Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and NIH’s National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), provided funding for the new contracts. Through an agreement with BARDA, NIAID will manage the contracts.

“Advanced development of medical countermeasures is a key aspect of BARDA’s mission,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response RADM Craig Vanderwagen, M.D., USPHS. “This multi-agency cooperation is a milestone achievement that demonstrates to the biotech industry our department’s commitment to developing medical countermeasures to enhance the nation’s public health preparedness in the years to come.”

The companies receiving contracts are

• Nanotherapeutics Inc. of Alachua, Fla.—$20 million for a plague and tularemia antibiotic development
• Emergent BioSolutions Inc. of Rockville, Md.—$9.5 million for anthrax immune globulin development
• PharmAthene Inc. of Annapolis, Md.—$13.9 million for anthrax antitoxin development
• Elusys Therapeutics Inc. of Pine Brook, N.J.—$11.9 million for anthrax antitoxin development

“These contracts will help speed the development of new interventions against anthrax, plague and tularemia, three diseases considered to be important bioterror threats,” said NIAID Director, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. “The 'pipeline' of candidate bioterror countermeasures is fuller than ever, which bodes well for our ongoing efforts to protect Americans from those who would do us harm with biological weapons.”

The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act of 2007 directed HHS to establish the BARDA office and authorized the funding of advanced development of medical countermeasures. BARDA coordinates interagency efforts to define and prioritize requirements for public health medical emergency countermeasures, related research, and product development and procurement. BARDA also has responsibility for setting deployment and use strategies for medical countermeasures held in the Strategic National Stockpile.

For more information on BARDA’s medical countermeasure programs, please visit  www.medicalcountermeasures.gov.  NIAID’s biodefense program information is also available online at www.niaid.nih.gov/Biodefense.             

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation's Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov

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