$25 million ZMapp contract

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services signs a $24.9 million, 18-month contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical to support the development, manufacture, and FDA approval of ZMapp. The deal can be extended up to a total of $42.3 million. HHS official:

While ZMapp has received a lot of attention, it is one of several treatments under development for Ebola, and we still have very limited data on its safety and efficacy. Developing drugs and vaccines to protect against Ebola as a biological threat has been a long-term goal of the U.S. government, and today’s agreement represents an important step forward.