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JULY 3, 2002, 12:30EDT
GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- IGEN International, Inc. is participating in a competition for a Department of Defense (DOD) contract for the development, manufacture and supply of environmental and clinical diagnostic products for use in the war against terrorism. The Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS) program is a multi-phased approach for the acquisition of at least 450 instruments together with the related reagent kits over the next three years. DOD may expand the program by 250 additional instruments. The Government has targeted October 2002 for awarding the contract.
The products to be purchased under the JBAIDS program will be used across DOD and will provide U.S. military forces with a commercially available system, like the Company's M1 instrument, that has been ruggedized for military use and that is capable of simultaneously and reliably identifying and quantifying multiple biological organisms and other pathogens of clinical significance. These highly dangerous organisms can lead to diseases such as anthrax, smallpox, and plague, as well as more than a dozen others. The system will be configured to enable medical personnel to quickly and reliably identify specific biological organisms from clinical and environmental samples. JBAIDS will be operated throughout the combat zone by medical laboratory personnel qualified by the DOD.
The JBAIDS selection process is a four phase process: Phase I being the Pre-Solicitation notice, Phase II a Contractor's Briefing, Phase III Flyoff or Lab Testing of the prospective system, and Phase IV a Request for Proposal. The selection process is presently in Phase III.
"We believe the JBAIDS program represents a significant new opportunity given the robustness of our ORIGEN technology, the ruggedness of our M1 instrumentation, and the prior successes that we have had in developing test kits for detection of specific biological agents and toxins important to DOD" stated Samuel J. Wohlstadter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IGEN. "This program has the potential for demanding tens of millions of tests per year. Participation in this competition demonstrates IGEN's commitment to homeland security efforts and support for the war against terrorism. There are multiple solicitations forthcoming from many branches of the U.S. Government and we expect to participate where possible."
IGEN develops and markets biological detection systems based on its proprietary ORIGEN technology, which provides a unique combination of sensitivity, reliability, speed, and flexibility. ORIGEN-based systems are used in a wide variety of applications, including clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research and development, life science research, and industrial testing for food safety and quality control. These systems are marketed by IGEN and its licensees and/or distributors -- Roche Diagnostics, BioMerieux, Eisai Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Corp., Sanko Junyaku Co. Ltd., and Reaction OY. IGEN and ORIGEN are registered trademarks of IGEN International Inc.
More information about the company can be found at www.igen.com.
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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