Texas Biomed tapped for $100M in anti-bioterror work

Up to $100 million in federal funds meant to combat bioterrorism will be available to a San Antonio biomedical research company over the next five years.

The Texas Biomedical Research Institute is now a prime contractor for a federal agency that develops countermeasures against bioterrorism, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the San Antonio Business Journal reported.

BARDA oversees advanced research and development of medical countermeasures such as vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for public health emergencies, as part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response team within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Texas Biomed has worked as a subcontractor for BARDA in the past, to the tune of about $46 million, but the promotion to BARDA’s exclusive network marks a big step up for the organization.

“We’ve been performing at a very high level in this sphere for some time, so it makes perfect sense that BARDA would want to expand its partnership with Texas Biomed,” Dr. Larry Schlesinger, president and CEO of Texas Biomed, told the outlet. “This kind of highly regulated work centers on effort, expertise and resources — all areas of which I’m proud to say we excel.”

Texas Biomed is the only Texas company to be part of BARDA’s Nonclinical Biological Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Network and one of only 15 nationally.

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