Leidos Awarded $23.7 Million Contract To Support USAID Malaria Vaccine Development Program

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Jun 08, 2015, 04:05 ET

RESTON, Va., June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a health, national security, and engineering solutions company, was awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide scientific and management support for the agency's Malaria Vaccine Development Program (MVDP). The single-award, cost-plus fixed-fee contract has a five-year period of performance and a total contract value of approximately $23.7 million. Work will be performed primarily in Frederick, MD.

Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in many parts of the developing world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 584,000 people died of malaria in 2013, mostly African children. The current WHO target is reduction of malaria cases and mortality rates by more than 90 percent by the year 2030, and elimination of malaria in at least 35 countries over this same time period (WHO 2015).

Development of a malaria vaccine with 80 percent efficacy, and duration of greater than four years, would be an important additional tool to help countries achieve elimination. Under the contract, Leidos will implement a series of research and development projects directed by USAID to support MVDP's continued effort to develop a highly efficacious, cost-effective malaria vaccine. The company's responsibilities may also include vaccine concept development and actualization, and vaccine evaluations in the preclinical, clinical, and field stages of development.

"Leidos Life Sciences brings decades of innovation and expertise to this important program, and we are honored to have been selected to provide services and support to USAID and the medical community in their efforts to develop a more effective malaria vaccine," said Leidos Health Deputy Group President Jerry Hogge.

About Leidos Health Life Sciences
As a leader for more than 25 years in the healthcare industry, Leidos Health fuses some of the world's most advanced technologies with the brightest minds in science, research and consulting. Since 2000, Leidos Health's Life Sciences team has held several medical product development contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, and commercial sponsors, where it has planned and managed biological and small molecule development programs for various disease indications. Under these contracts, Leidos has provided services from initial concept to licensure, which include preclinical activities, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manufacturing, Investigational New Drug application preparation and submission, and clinical trial evaluation.

About Leidos
Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world's toughest challenges in national security, health and engineering. The Company's 19,000 employees support vital missions for our government and the commercial sector, develop innovative solutions to drive better outcomes and defend our Nation's digital and physical infrastructure from 'new world' threats. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $5.06 billion for its fiscal year ended January 30, 2015. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2014, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.