National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Contract Management Branch, Solar Building, Room 3C07, 6003 Executive Blvd. MSC 7610, Rockville, MD 20892-7610

A -- HOUSING, CARE, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AIDS RESEARCH PROTOCOLS S WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INFECTED CHIMPANZEES SOL RFP-NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-97-10 POC Kristiane Cooper, Contract Specialist, (301) 496-7288. Lawrence M. Butler, Contracting Officer, (301) 496-0192 The Vaccine and Prevention Research Program, Division of AIDS, NIAID, NIH, intends to negotiate a 2 year contract with The Coulston Foundation for housing, maintaining, and observing 12 particular experimental chimpanzees through studies which are currently underway through a NCI contract. Studies performed by Coulston on these chimps are in support of NIAID's efforts toward finding a safe and efficacious vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) or AIDS. These particular animals are infected with HIV-1 and must be utilized because they are the subject of unfinished ongoing work which must be continued and seen to ultimate completion. The contractor's responsibilities include: i) housing, maintaining, and observing the chimpanzees in appropriate and secure biohazard containment facilities in compliance with USDA regulations pertaining to primate care; ii) developing study protocols for scheduling immunizations, specimen collection, etc.; iii) executing approved protocols (e.g., immunizations, virus challenges) collecting specimens, recording observations, and reporting them periodically to the project officer; iv) performing in vitro laboratory assays to assess immune responses and viral parameters in the chimps; and v) storing and maintaining inventory of titered virus stocks, candidate vaccines, and collected specimens. Because the animals are indeed unique, reproduction of the experimental system in other chimps by another contractor is unfeasible, if not impossible, and any attempts would result in unacceptable delays to the vaccine research effort. In addition, loss of these chimps would be unacceptable because of the scarcity of chimpanzees, their cost, and the concomitant loss of knowledge that would come from not observing these particular animals further. Since Coulston is in possession of these chimps, it is by necessity the only source capable of continuing these studies. See Note 22. (0015)

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