ATCC to Lead Lifecycle Management of Military Medical Countermeasures Under 10-Year Department of War Contract
DOW taps ATCC as the central integrator for the RAPID program, strengthening the Joint Force’s readiness against
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Key Takeaways
- The Department of War has awarded ATCC a 10-year contract with a ceiling value of $99 million to support its Rapid Access to Products in Development (RAPID) program.
- ATCC is the prime contractor, managing the lifecycle of government-owned medical countermeasures to enable immediate readiness.
- With 100+ years of biological material stewardship and a proven record across 40+ federal contracts, ATCC brings infrastructure that is immediately deployable for this critical mission.
MANASSAS, Va., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ATCC has been awarded a 10-year Department of War (DOW) contract to coordinate lifecycle management of medical countermeasures (MCMs) developed to protect U.S. military personnel from chemical and biological threats.
Under this contract, ATCC supports the mission of the Rapid Access to Products in Development (RAPID) program to enable MCM preparedness against chemical and biological threats, and ensure those countermeasures remain viable and ready for fielding across the Joint Force. These MCMs include vaccines, biologics, and drugs capable of preventing or treating chemical and biological threats.
RAPID is managed by the Joint Project Lead for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Enabling Technologies (JPL CBRN ET) under the Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND).
This award builds on ATCC’s decades of experience aligning scientific, regulatory, and operational stakeholders across complex federal programs. ATCC supports critical military priorities for the DOW, including active programs with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
“Medical countermeasures are only as valuable as our ability to deploy them when and where they are needed,” said Rebecca Bradford, senior vice president, ATCC Federal Solutions. “The RAPID program ensures that the supply chain and ongoing testing infrastructure behind those countermeasures is solid, so when our warfighters need protection, it is there. We are glad to play that role in support of military readiness.”
How ATCC’s capabilities align with RAPID’s requirements
ATCC has delivered capabilities across multiple DOW programs, including identifying and characterizing novel therapeutic approaches to viruses for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, conducting biomanufacturing research with DARPA to reduce the DOW’s reliance on petrochemicals, and providing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) support for WRAIR.
As a mission-driven nonprofit, ATCC is a long-standing steward of the government’s critical materials and a trusted partner across the federal health and defense enterprise. ATCC holds contracts with the DOW, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The company has executed surge response in support of Influenza, COVID-19, Zika virus, Yellow Fever, Ebola, and many other public health emergencies.
“We are proud to continue expanding our defense portfolio in support of mission-critical priorities across the DOW,” said Eldar Imanverdi, senior director of business development, ATCC Federal Solutions. “Our scientific and supply chain expertise directly supports national security and defense, enabling rapid, reliable, and secure solutions that strengthen preparedness, resilience, and operational readiness.”
This project has been funded in part by the U.S. Government under Agreement W911SR-26-9-A017.
The views expressed in this press release reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Department of the Army, Department of War, nor the United States Government. References to non-federal entities do not constitute nor imply Department of War or Army or CPE CBRND endorsement of any company or organization.
About ATCC
ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and associated data for academia, industry, and government. With a history of scientific contributions spanning more than a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world’s largest and most diverse collection of biological reference materials and data, and is a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, partnerships, and people provide the global scientific community with credible, advanced model systems to support complex research and innovations in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, with research and technology centers of excellence in Gaithersburg and Germantown, Maryland.
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