Leidos Awarded NIH Contract

Leidos has been awarded a prime vaccine adjuvant development contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to improve the efficacy of vaccine candidates for prevention of anthrax and West Nile virus (WNV) disease. The contract has a one-year period of performance valued at $2.2 million, followed by four option years, for a total contract value of approximately $12.4 million, if all options are exercised.
 
Leidos has assembled a team to further develop and optimize a lead vaccine adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of recombinant anthrax and WNV vaccines. The team comprises the Infectious Disease Research Institute, the Hawaii Biotech Institute, Pfenex, Inc., Duke University, Molecular Diagnostics Services, the IIT Research Institute, Inc., and Colorado State University.
 
Leidos will prepare and assess formulations of their lead adjuvant compound and either a recombinant Protective Antigen (rPA) from Bacillus anthracis or a WNV surface protein to optimize the extent and longevity of immune responses generated. The contract includes a future option to test the lead vaccine adjuvant in a potential HIV vaccine containing a specific HIV envelope glycoprotein antigen.