OraSure reels in $7.2M from HHS for rapid Ebola test

OraSure CEO Douglas Michels

OraSure Technologies ($OSUR) scored an additional $7.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) for its rapid Ebola test, building on a $10.4 million contract that it signed with BARDA in June. As part of the latest deal, OraSure will sell $1.5 million worth of OraQuick products to the HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for field testing in West Africa. The Bethlehem, PA-based company will use funds to support FDA 510(k) clearance for its test. "The populations affected by Ebola are large, and current testing methods severely limit testing capacity. As such, we believe that the OraQuick Rapid Ebola Test will be an important tool in containing and controlling the Ebola outbreak," OraSure CEO Douglas Michels said in a statement. "We are grateful to both the CDC and BARDA for their continued support." Statement