Yucatan swine, castrated males in the 20kg-80kg weight range, genetically screened to be 1 swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) from each other.

The Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) intends to award a sole source contract under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 to Sinclair Bio-Resources LLC (SBR), 562 State Rd. DD, Auxvasse, MO 65231-1012 for an indefinite delivery- indefinite quantity contract that provides for the delivery of healthy male Yucatan swine for a period of 24 months. The swine required shall be healthy, disease free, castrated, and at the desired specified weight (which will range between 20kg and 80kg) in 100% of the ordered quantity in each delivery, or the entire shipment shall be replaced. In addition, all animals must receive genetic screening by the vendor for swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) and selected to be one SLA mismatch from each other. The animal facility requires United States Department of Agriculture approved Class A animal breeder license. The requirement shall have an environment, care and handling of animals as developed by the current supplier to avoid the skewing of data in ongoing research efforts. The estimated value of this contract is $137,500. NAMRU-SA is currently using the government purchase card to buy Yucatan swine from SBR and has used SBR for past Yucatan swine purchases for research that has an approved transplant study protocol (13-05) using SLA testing as a method to match donors to recipients. However, beginning in June 2013, the number of animals will increase to a level that exceeds the authority under the government purchase card program. It is critical for NAMRU-SA’s future scientific research efforts to have genetically mapped and tested animals from one vendor to ensure that the scientific data generated is consistent. Due to SBR’s early involvement in providing animals for this ongoing research effort, it is important that they continue to provide this supply to avoid inconsistency in study results. In addition, it is imperative that a comparison of previous data collected from ongoing research to potentially new data be created, collected, and reviewed under the same controls to ensure an apples-to-apples analysis is performed. This is critical to the integrity of the entire study and can only be accomplished through the use of the same supplier. In addition, SBR has an established history of delivering 100% healthy, SLA tested lots. Loss of one or two animals due to diseases or lack of SLA matching will cause a major disruption on data collection and analysis. Further, the Institute of Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), which provides regulatory oversight in federally funded projects requiring animal use, requires proof that the research team is working to reduce the number of animals used in the protocols as the study progresses. This can only be accomplished by using the current vendor, as this supplier eliminates the need to acquire additional animals through duplication of previous study efforts. If future requirements exist that do not involve the same research efforts, the government will solicit through full and open competition to remove barriers. All capability statements received by 11:00 AM Eastern Time, 15 July 2013 will be considered by the Government. Capability statements shall be submitted by e-mail ONLY as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachment to sharon.leathery@med.navy.mil.