Davis Perkins

Davis Perkins serves as a key procurement lead within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing strategic acquisitions to advance national biodefense capabilities. Responsible for managing complex research and development contracts, he facilitates the rapid procurement of medical countermeasures—including vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic platforms—to address emerging public health threats. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the development and deployment of life-saving technologies through agile contracting mechanisms, often leveraging Other Transaction Authorities and cooperative research agreements to streamline innovation pathways with non-traditional and high-risk/high-reward vendors. Perkins maintains consistent contracting relationships with specialized biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, including Cidara Therapeutics, Aquestive Therapeutics, Rafa Laboratories, and Osivax, all of which bring advanced capabilities in antiviral drug development, novel drug delivery systems, and pandemic-ready vaccine platforms. His procurement patterns reflect a preference for partnering with established scientific innovators possessing deep domain expertise in biodefense, rather than broad-based commercial suppliers. These relationships are characterized by long-term, mission-aligned collaboration focused on solving critical gaps in preparedness infrastructure. His contracting activity shows no reliance on socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a prioritization of technical capability and speed over socioeconomic preferences, consistent with the urgent nature of public health emergency response procurement. Perkins’ portfolio is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541714 (Biotechnology R&D) and 541715 (Life Sciences R&D), with secondary focus on 325413 (In-Vitro Diagnostic Manufacturing). He specializes in procuring advanced biologics, mRNA-based platforms, point-of-care diagnostics, and proprietary delivery systems, demonstrating deep familiarity with the scientific and regulatory complexities of medical countermeasure development.