MediWound Ltd. Announces That Vericel Corporation Has Secured A Ten-Year BARDA Contract Worth Up To $197 Million For NexoBrid

MediWound Ltd. MediWound Ltd. announced that Vericel Corporation Vericel Corporation, its exclusive distributor of the burn treatment NexoBrid in North America, has been awarded a ten-year federal contract worth up to $197 million. The award was granted by the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which operates under the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contract is intended to strengthen national preparedness and ensure the long-term availability of NexoBrid, a non-surgical enzymatic debridement therapy used for severe burn care.

According to Vericel, the agreement covers several major components, including the procurement of NexoBrid for emergency preparedness, the creation and maintenance of a Vendor Managed Inventory system, and the design and validation of a U.S.-based manufacturing facility. In addition, the contract supports development work aimed at advancing a next-generation formulation of NexoBrid and exploring additional medical indications for the product.

The base portion of the contract totals $35 million and includes roughly $10 million over the next 12 months for the initial procurement of NexoBrid to be added to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, as well as funding to establish the inventory management system. It also provides resources to begin early development activities focused on expanding the product’s potential use to treat blast trauma injuries, an area of growing concern in emergency and military medicine.

Vericel stated that the ten-year contract, which becomes effective on April 1, 2026, also contains multiple optional extensions and awards. These options cover additional NexoBrid procurement to further expand the Strategic National Stockpile, continued clinical development related to the possible blast trauma indication, and further work on the design and validation of a domestic manufacturing facility. The contract also supports the development and possible procurement of a room-temperature stable formulation of NexoBrid, which could enhance storage and deployment capabilities during large-scale emergencies.