A -- LEPROSY RESEARCH SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE ARMADILLO COLONY = IN THE POST-GENOME ERA

Notice Date

June 8, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of = Health, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, = Contract Management Branch 6700-B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7612, Bethesda, = MD, 20892-7612

ZIP Code

20892-7612

Solicitation Number

RFP-NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-02-14

Response Due

October 1, 2001

Point of Contact

Donald Collie, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-496-0992, Fax = 301-402-0972, Email dc128b@nih.gov -- Paul McFarlane, Senior Contracting = Officer, Phone 301-496-0349, Fax 301-402-0972, Email pm24v@nih.gov

Description

The Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) of = the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH = has a requirement to re-compete and expand its contracts which provide = research in M. leprae-infected tissues using the a nude mouse hind = footpad and 9-banded armadillo models.=20 This solicitation represents an important element of the U.S. = Government?s efforts to support leprosy research leading to improved = diagnostic, treatment and prevention strategies for this disease. In = May 1991, the WHO declared the goal of eliminating leprosy as a public = health problem by the year 2000 (i.e., prevalence less than 1/10,000 = population). With effective multi-drug therapy of fixed duration, = significant progress is being made towards reducing the prevalence of = this disease. Since the introduction of multi-drug therapy (MDT) for = leprosy in 1982, there has been an 85% decrease in global prevalence, = from 10-15 million cases in the mid-1980s to 795,000 registered cases = in 1999, or a global prevalence of 1.4 per 10,000 individuals. = However, this figure represents a plateauing of leprosy prevalence over = the past 4-5 years. In fact, the number of new cases detected each year = now appears to be increasing (550,000 in 1985 vs. 795,500 cases in = 1999, approximately equal to the global prevalence).=20 There are approximately 20 countries in which the prevalence of leprosy = remains well above the WHO elimination goal of 1/10,000 individuals. = The reasons behind the currently increasing incidence and plateauing = leprosy prevalence despite massive global efforts to diagnose and treat = with efficacious MDT appear complex. The difficulty in understanding = this situation highlights our collective ignorance on fundamental = questions of leprosy transmission and host susceptibility, mechanisms = of immune response and nerve damage, and limitations in our ability to = diagnose and prevent this disease. Thus, continued basic and applied = research is needed in many areas to improve our ability to control and = ultimately eliminate leprosy as a public health problem. In November = 1999, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases = co-sponsored with The Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy and = Tuberculosis, a workshop to review current understanding of leprosy and = Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), the causative agent, with respect to: = epidemiology, pathogenesis, detection and diagnosis, host = susceptibility and immune responses, pathology including nerve damage, = genomics, genetics and physiology of M. leprae, treatment regimens and = vaccine development. The aim of this RFP is to solicit proposals for: provision of high = quality research reagents derived from M. leprae or otherwise critical = to the leprosy research community (PART I), and maintenance of an = armadillo colony to provide M. leprae-infected tissues and a nude mouse = hind footpad model for provision of high titer preparations of M. = leprae strains (PART II). Offerors may submit proposals for PART I = only, PART II only, or PARTS I and II. If an Offeror submits proposals = for both PARTS I and II the two proposals will be reviewed separately. = RFP NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-02-14 will be available electronically on or about = June 25, 2001 and may be accessed through the NIAID Contract Management = Branch (CMB) Homepage by using the following electronic address and = instruction: Navigate to the NIAID-CMB Homepage (via World Wide Web): = Use http://www.niaid.nih.gov/contract Once at the NIAID/CMB Home = Page, click the Current RFPs link and then click on RFP = NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-02-14. Proposals in response to this RFP will be due on = or about October 1, 2001. Any responsible Offeror may submit a = proposal, which will be considered by the Government. This = advertisement does not commit the Government to award a contract. It is = anticipated that up to two (2) cost-reimbursement type contracts will = be awarded for a period of seven (7) years beginning approximately June = 3, 2002. Point of Contract Donald E. Collie, Contract Specialist, Phone (301) 496-0992, Fax (301) = 480-5253 E-mail dc128b@nh.gov, Paul D. McFarlane, Senior Contracting = Officer, Phone: 301-496-0349, Fax: 301-480-5253, E-mail: pm24v@nih.gov

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIAID/RFP-NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-02-14/list= ing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010612/ASOL005.HTM (D-159 SN50O4E1)