Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Immport Therapeutics, Inc.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a sole source firm fixed price purchase order to Immport Therapeutics, Inc d/b/a Antigen Discovery Inc, for the project entitled Identification of Brucella canis and B. abortus RB51 Seroreactive Proteins and Serology Assay Development. Brucella strains such as B. abortus, B. melitensis , and B. suis have an O-specific polysaccharide as part of the outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and are designated as "smooth" strains. In contrast, other strains such as B. canis , B. ovis , and RB51, are missing the O-specific polysaccharide from the LPS and are designated as "rough" strains. The lack of this O-antigen from the LPS of the rough strains means that standard Brucella serological assays do not detect antibody against rough strains. There is a critical need to find specific, immunogenic markers whose epitopes can be analyzed, synthesized and developed into optimized serological diagnostic assays. The goal of this project is to develop serodiagnostic assays for detection of human antibodies against rough Brucella strains such as B. canis and RB51, which are known human pathogens. Antigen Discovery Incorporated (ADI) has pioneered the development of expressible open reading frame (ORF) libraries for infectious organisms and has exploited in vitro transcription and translation (IVTT) for production of proteomic microarray chips used for antibody profiling/biomarker discovery. ADI has developed a high-throughput polymerase chain reaction ("PCR")/recombination cloning and expression system that enables the construction of protein microarrays for any organism whose genome sequence has been determined and where a source of genomic DNA is available. This proprietary technology has been utilized to construct protein microarray chips of entire pathogen proteomes in order to interrogate human humoral responses to these pathogens. ADI has recently developed a customizable Brucella protein microarray. This protein microarray contains surface and cytoplasmic proteins specific to the genomes of specifically selected Brucella isolates in a cell-free E. coli IVTT system. This contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) (SAP) and 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all quotations/responses received within three (3) days of the issuance of this notice will be considered by the government. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Any quotation/response should be emailed to Contract Specialist at [email protected] by 12pm EST on 8-21-2020.