FORT DETRICK, Md. – The Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medical (JPM CBRN Medical) Rapid Opioid Countermeasure System (ROCS) product team was selected to receive the 2022 MHSRS award for Outstanding Program Management (Team). This award recognizes outstanding medical product program management, highlighting team accomplishments that further mature medical research and development or commercial efforts. The ROCS team, a component of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), was recognized for addressing and minimizing the ROCS program’s developmental risks, managing cost, schedule, and performance, and adhering to all applicable regulatory requirements. The ROCS team’s end goal is to field and deliver a product to the Warfighter that will fill a military medical capability gap.
The ROCS product team received the award for closing the capability gap for military personnel and chemical incident first responders who may encounter highly potent opioids. This was accomplished on February 28, 2022, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 10-mg naloxone auto-injector (NAI), manufactured and sponsored by kaléo, Inc. The NAI was developed for the JPEO-CBRND and funded by the Chemical and Biological Defense Program. Of note, the ROCS program is the first and only Department of Defense (DoD) medical program to deliver a service-wide capability using the middle tier of acquisition (MTA) pathway. Furthermore, the team developed this capability during the pandemic in a short, 30-month timeframe from contract to FDA approval in February 2022.