HHS Selects PRTM Management Consultants to Support BARDA Implementation

Business Wire, Dec 5, 2007

Department of Health and Human Services and PRTM to prepare United States for potential man-made and natural biothreats

WASHINGTON -- PRTM, a global management consulting firm, has been selected by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assist in the establishment of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an agency that will be tasked with protecting the United States from emerging biothreats.

HHS awarded PRTM a task order with a potential value of $3.5 million. The task order will last for one year, with a one-year option period.

"BARDA has been expressly charged with the mission to help companies in the nation's nascent biodefense industry cross from promising early research through to final approval, a process that has been termed in the past as the 'Valley of Death,'" said Bill Helming, Vice President of the Biodefense and Public Health Practice in PRTM's Global Public Sector group.

Congress approved the establishment of BARDA when it passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) in 2006.

PRTM's collaboration with HHS has these goals:

* Support BARDA in its fulfillment of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act

* Foster effective coordination between U.S. public sector agencies and commercial companies

* Define a BARDA operational model to guide the development and delivery of biomedical countermeasures that ensure public safety

* Establish a road map for BARDA organizational development

"These goals should allow the BARDA office to move out smartly and more effectively in improving the nation's preparedness," Helming said. "BARDA will improve the relationship between government and industry as they work together to solve pressing challenges in countermeasure development. The effective implementation of HHS's biodefense and pandemic influenza strategies will require unprecedented collaboration across government agencies as well as the best innovation that industry and government laboratories can bring to bear."

Helming added, "PRTM's previous work with HHS to help develop a national pandemic influenza strategy, our work with the Department of Defense on biodefense programs, and the firm's extensive background in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry have prepared us to make significant contributions to this critical initiative. We are honored to have been chosen to support BARDA."

About PRTM Management Consultants

Since 1976, PRTM has created a competitive advantage for its clients by changing the way companies operate. PRTM management consultants work with senior executives to develop and implement innovative operational strategies that deliver breakthrough results. The firm is a leader in operational strategy, supply chain, product development, and customer value management. PRTM has 16 offices worldwide and serves major industry and public sectors. For more information, visit www.prtm.com.

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