	MMS Holdings (MMS), a data-focused CRO, announced that it is offering a USD1M award toward the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. The award is being offered in the form of data and related services to qualified pharmaceutical and clinical research companies supporting the commercial development of a vaccine for approval in the United States and/or other global health authorities.

	“Our goal is to help eliminate financial roadblocks associated with pursuing approval of a treatment in this area. This team’s experience with clinical data, especially in the area of vaccines, puts MMS in a strong position to support this vital community need,” said Dr. Uma Sharma, Chief Scientific Officer, MMS. “Our organization has generated clinical datasets and authored regulatory writing for several vaccine submissions for over the last decade, including preparation of the first Integrated Summary of Immunogenicity, that addresses immunogenicity-related risks for therapeutic proteins like vaccines. This award will allow COVID-19 researchers to focus on their strengths to develop a treatment, while partnering with MMS on the data summary document preparation for a Biologics License Application. We look forward to lending our vaccines experience and contributing to COVID-19 vaccine development in a meaningful way.”

	COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus, a family of viruses that cause upper respiratory illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). As of March 2020, COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting more than 200,000 people worldwide and responsible for more than 8,500 deaths. The highly contagious virus causing COVID-19 is reported to be spreading rapidly, resulting in a global pandemic. Symptoms that include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing range from mild to life-threatening and the person-to-person transmission is occurring at an alarming rate in many regions.

	Dr. Sharma added, “At this time of great need, our mission is to assist in improving lives worldwide, and the best way for our team to help fight this pandemic is to band together for the common good, using our years of drug development and vaccine experience to reduce the increasing threats from COVID-19.”

	The company, or companies, chosen to receive this award will be able to draw support in the following areas:

		Biometrics (Clinical Data Management, Statistical Programming, & Biostatistics)

		Regulatory Affairs, Operations, & Compliance

	
	Applications are now being accepted. Organizations interested in applying for this award can submit a notification of interest at 

https://www.mmsholdings.com/covid-19-award-interest