The departments of Defense and Health and Human Services have coordinated to execute contract actions worth $226.3 million combined to help four companies increase domestic production capacity for COVID-19 antibody tests and nitrile gloves.
DOD said Friday its Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell organization led the contracting process while the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response financed the industrial base expansion projects with Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funds.
The Pentagon awarded Blue Star a $123.1 million contract to establish a nitrile butadiene rubber factory in support of medical exam glove manufacturing efforts.
U.S. Medical Glove Company secured $63.6 million to ramp up its production of nitrile gloves by 2.31 billion in two years.
Renco received a $35 million contract modification to fund the establishment of glove manufacturing equipment lines and help the company increase the number of gloves produced monthly by 166.7 million.
DiaSorin will use contract funds amounting to $4.6 million in efforts to boost monthly production capacity for its Liaison automated serology testing system for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies from 1.3 million to 10 million tests.
