NEW YORK – The US Department of Defense announced on Wednesday that Abbott Rapid DX has been awarded a $255 million contract to provide 50 million SARS-CoV-2 rapid point-of-care antigen tests.
The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will last eight months with no option periods and the ordering period will end on Oct. 31. The maximum dollar value on the contract is $766.4 million and is being funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Assistant Secretary of Health.
The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
Abbott's BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card rapid test is a lateral flow immunoassay detecting the nucleocapsid protein. It received Emergency Use Authorization for use at the point of care in August and EUA for virtually guided home use with a prescription in December.
In September, the US government purchased 150 million BinaxNow tests to distribute to states, territories, and organizations representing vulnerable populations – including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice care agencies, tribal nation colleges, and historically black colleges and universities.