Aardvark Medical Announces BARDA Exercise of Contract Option 1 Valued at $2.8M
Advances Development of Specimen Collection System for Respiratory Pathogens for Viral Testing
San Francisco, CA, November 20, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Aardvark Medical announced today that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has exercised its first contract option valued at $2.8 million.
BARDA awarded the contract, valued at up to $4.5 million if all options are exercised, to Aardvark Medical in September of 2018 to support the development of improved specimen collection materials and methods for their influenza program. Aardvark’s program, the CLEARinse™ Portable Nasal Wash Specimen Collection + Transport System, is based upon the CLEARinse™ PRO Nasal Wash System which is available by prescription for nasal wash and respiratory specimen collection. Aardvark also markets the consumer nasal wash system, CLEARinse™ Nasal Cleaning Aspirator Starter Kit, through their strategic partner, pNeo, LLC, at www.clearmynose.com. Successful progress in the development of the novel specimen collection system for point-of-care influenza testing has led to the exercise of this contract option, which will support ongoing development and clinical testing, with a focus on use outside of the clinical setting.
Key components of the CLEARinse™ Collection + Transport (CTS) System include:
- A disposable specimen collection component that interfaces with the existing CLEARinse™ PRO actuator handle. The specimen collection container is designed with a sterile air barrier for safe specimen collection and a port for easy sample access by laboratory personnel.
- A transport container that receives the specimen collection component, releases a preservative into the sample, and secures the sample for transport from the collection site to a laboratory for testing.
“BARDA has been a valuable partner through the development of the CLEARinse™ CTS, providing financial support and valuable technical insight into this product and project,” said Steven Bacich, Chief Executive Officer at Aardvark Medical, Inc. Aardvark’s founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chris Baker, MD, an emergency pediatrician who continues to drive Aardvark’s product offerings, added, “As we have learned with the current COVID-19 pandemic, controlling a respiratory virus outbreak requires rapid diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals. A safer, easier, and more adoptable respiratory specimen collection strategy, as provided by the CLEARinse™ PRO and CLEARinse™ CTS products, will improve testing compliance and comfort for medical professionals and their patients, and citizens in their homes and offices. Our BARDA partnership provides an opportunity to move specimen collection closer to patients, hasten diagnosis, and improve epidemic outcomes.”
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. HHSO100201800039C.
About Aardvark Medical: Aardvark Medical develops portable systems for optimized respiratory specimen collection and containment as well as over-the-counter decongestion care. It is dedicated to offering novel and drug-free procedures that further cold and flu care as well as streamline biothreat surveillance. Aardvark Medical’s products include the CLEARinse™ PRO, the CLEARinse™ Nasal Cleaning Aspirator System for consumer use, CLEARinse™ Saline Ampules™ and, soon, the CLEARinse™ CTS (Collection + Transport System). Aardvark Medical has an active pipeline of future products, including fully integrating the respiratory sample collection and detection process into an accurate, easy-to-use home test platform.
BARDA awarded the contract, valued at up to $4.5 million if all options are exercised, to Aardvark Medical in September of 2018 to support the development of improved specimen collection materials and methods for their influenza program. Aardvark’s program, the CLEARinse™ Portable Nasal Wash Specimen Collection + Transport System, is based upon the CLEARinse™ PRO Nasal Wash System which is available by prescription for nasal wash and respiratory specimen collection. Aardvark also markets the consumer nasal wash system, CLEARinse™ Nasal Cleaning Aspirator Starter Kit, through their strategic partner, pNeo, LLC, at www.clearmynose.com. Successful progress in the development of the novel specimen collection system for point-of-care influenza testing has led to the exercise of this contract option, which will support ongoing development and clinical testing, with a focus on use outside of the clinical setting.
Key components of the CLEARinse™ Collection + Transport (CTS) System include:
- A disposable specimen collection component that interfaces with the existing CLEARinse™ PRO actuator handle. The specimen collection container is designed with a sterile air barrier for safe specimen collection and a port for easy sample access by laboratory personnel.
- A transport container that receives the specimen collection component, releases a preservative into the sample, and secures the sample for transport from the collection site to a laboratory for testing.
“BARDA has been a valuable partner through the development of the CLEARinse™ CTS, providing financial support and valuable technical insight into this product and project,” said Steven Bacich, Chief Executive Officer at Aardvark Medical, Inc. Aardvark’s founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chris Baker, MD, an emergency pediatrician who continues to drive Aardvark’s product offerings, added, “As we have learned with the current COVID-19 pandemic, controlling a respiratory virus outbreak requires rapid diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals. A safer, easier, and more adoptable respiratory specimen collection strategy, as provided by the CLEARinse™ PRO and CLEARinse™ CTS products, will improve testing compliance and comfort for medical professionals and their patients, and citizens in their homes and offices. Our BARDA partnership provides an opportunity to move specimen collection closer to patients, hasten diagnosis, and improve epidemic outcomes.”
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. HHSO100201800039C.
About Aardvark Medical: Aardvark Medical develops portable systems for optimized respiratory specimen collection and containment as well as over-the-counter decongestion care. It is dedicated to offering novel and drug-free procedures that further cold and flu care as well as streamline biothreat surveillance. Aardvark Medical’s products include the CLEARinse™ PRO, the CLEARinse™ Nasal Cleaning Aspirator System for consumer use, CLEARinse™ Saline Ampules™ and, soon, the CLEARinse™ CTS (Collection + Transport System). Aardvark Medical has an active pipeline of future products, including fully integrating the respiratory sample collection and detection process into an accurate, easy-to-use home test platform.
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pNeo LLC
Meagan Vogt
877.737.9177
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Meagan Vogt
877.737.9177
making.business
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