SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Testing of Pharmacological Intervention in Rhesus Monkeys
- Notice Date
- 3/10/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7902
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-(SSSA)-2014-102
- Archive Date
- 6/30/2014
- Point of Contact
- Debra C Hawkins, Phone: (301) 594-2178, Hunter Tjugum, Phone: (301) 435-8780
- E-Mail Address
-
dh41g@nih.gov, Hunter.Tjugum@nih.gov
(dh41g@nih.gov, Hunter.Tjugum@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- TITLE: Testing of Pharmacological Intervention in Rhesus Monkeys INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation, request for proposals (RFP), proposal abstracts, nor a request for quotations (RFQ). The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources that includes; (1) other than small businesses (large businesses, education institutions, non-profits, etc.); (2) small business sources; (3) HubZone small businesses; (4) service-disabled small businesses; (5) veteran-owned small businesses; (6) 8(a) small businesses; (7) veteran-owned small businesses; (8) woman-owned small businesses; (9) small disadvantaged businesses; and (10) private contractors and consultants, who can perform the requirements of the size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code as specified below. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a small business social-economic set-aside, competitive or non-competitive method is possible, and to determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government's requirement. ALL organizations with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 541711 - Biomedical Research and Development and the associated small business size standard of 500 employees. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The purpose of this requirement is to test the effects of levetiracetam, alone and in combination with donepezil on memory in young and aged rhesus monkeys for the National Institute of Aging (NIA) Intramural Research Program (IRP). Background Information: The Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) maintains a broad, multidisciplinary scientific program of investigator-initiated research aimed at understanding the basis of aging, and the development of strategies to promote optimally healthy aging. In support of the IRP's mission, the Neurocognitive Aging Section (NAS) in the Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience (LBN) conducts research in a variety of preclinical animal models, including nonhuman primates, in order to determine the basis of memory Impairment and sparing in aging, and to test interventions that might support successful cognitive aging. Research in animal models and humans has revealed a number of features of brain aging that provide tractable targets for pharmacological intervention aimed at reversing or preventing age-related memory impairment. For example, aged rats with deficits in memory that requires the hippocampus exhibit abnormally high rates of neuronal firing in a key component of hippocampal circuitry. One interpretation is that this increased activity reflects a failed compensatory response to other changes in the aged brain. Alternatively, aberrant increases in neuronal firing may directly contribute to impaired hippocampal information processing and age-related deficits in memory. Consistent with the latter interpretation, the administration of drugs that reduce excess hippocampal activity both reverse the behavioral deficits seen in memory-impaired aged rats, and rescue other neurobiological correlates of impairment. Notably, corresponding benefits, measured by neuropsychological testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been reported in patients with mild cognitive impairment, i.e., a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive aging is also accompanied by a variety of cholinergic abnormalities, and although all currently approved pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) target this neurochemical system, they yield at most only modest, transient delay in decline among a subset of patients. Considerate Interests centers on combination therapies that might improve the response to drugs currently in use for AD. The successful contractor will provide all animals, animal support, behavioral testing equipment, and personnel to test in a nonhuman primate model whether pharmacological intervention aimed at reducing excessive neuronal activity, alone or in combination with an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor approved for use in the symptomatic of AD, reverses cognitive impairment in older monkeys with memory deficits. CAPABILITY STATEMENT /INFORMATION SOUGHT Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the services specified in this notice Respondents must provide a general overview of the respondents' opinions about the difficulty and /or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. The Respondent must also provide information in sufficient details of the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. All responses to this sources sought notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Debra Hawkins, Lead Contract Specialist at debra.hawkins@nih.gov on or before March 17, 2014, 12:00 noon eastern time. Facsimile responses will be accepted at 301-480-1358. The response must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/HHS-NIH-NIDA-(SSSA)-2014-102/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: National Institute on Aging, Bayview Research Center, 21 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States
- Zip Code: 21224
- Zip Code: 21224
- Record
- SN03306182-W 20140312/140310234459-688bcf0ede35b431dcb7345149d05ace (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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