WASHINGTON -- The Department of Defense (DoD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $0.6 million contract to QIAGEN Beverly, Inc. to expand manufacturing capacity of enzymatic reagents and reagent kits used in COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests, on Aug 23, 2021.

Molecular laboratory-based tests are essential for COVID-19 testing and diagnostics. The reagents QIAGEN produces are used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in collected samples and require highly controlled, validated, and regulatory-compliant manufacturing processes and facilities. This industrial base expansion effort will allow QIAGEN to increase its monthly production of reagent kits by 7,000 and enzymes by 5,100 milligrams in its Beverly, Massachusetts, facility by the end of February 2022 to support domestic laboratory testing for COVID-19.

The DoD’s Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell (DA2) led this effort in coordination with the Department of the Air Force’s Acquisition COVID-19 Task Force (DAF ACT). This effort was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support domestic industrial base expansion for critical medical resources.