RAPID is a new start program in FY24 that will provide a broad portfolio of medical countermeasures (MCMs) that are ready for emergency fielding in response to an actual or potential CBRN attack. RAPID will create a virtual ‘shelf’ of products at various stages of development (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3), culminating in Tier 4 products with known safety profiles, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) qualified doses produced and stored for emergency release, and contingency fielding plans in place. This approach will allow for broad threat space coverage and quick response times.

SUPPORT TO INTEGRATED LAYERED CBRN DEFENSE (ILCD)

MCMs are a critical component of ILCD that allows U.S. forces to win in CBRN contested environments. RAPID will enable quick delivery of MCMs in response to known and emerging threats to enable a more agile and ready Joint Force.

RELATIONSHIP TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS

RAPID will accelerate technology transition to the warfighter by providing an integrated mechanism through which early MCM candidates can be made available to warfighters during emergencies, including those from critical S&T partners at the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and others. RAPID aims to organize all available S&T efforts and align with decision support tools currently under development to prioritize deployment and emphasize use of the most effective platform approaches.