Agreement Awarded by DARPA in partnership with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and
Response’s (ASPR) Center of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC)
Kannapolis, NC / College Station, Tx August 28, 2024 – Bright Path Laboratories, Inc., a leader in innovative
pharmaceutical manufacturing solutions, and its partners have entered into an agreement under the U.S. government’s
Establishing Qualification Processes for Agile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (EQUIP-A-Pharma) program. This
groundbreaking initiative aims to transform the landscape of pharmaceutical production and regulations through the
development of agile manufacturing processes with real-time quality assessment technologies
The EQUIP-A-Pharma program is managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and funded
by the ASPR Center of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC). The program, with total funding of
up to $14 million per award across all phases, seeks to address critical challenges in the pharmaceutical supply chain by
enabling the rapid, on-demand production of multiple drug products on a single manufacturing platform. Bright Path
Laboratories’ selection for this program underscores its expertise in advanced manufacturing technologies and its
commitment to revolutionizing drug production.
“We are honored to be chosen by DARPA and ASPR for this pivotal program,” said Tony Quinones, CEO of Bright
Path Laboratories. “Our team’s innovative approach to agile pharmaceutical manufacturing and data expertise aligns
perfectly with the U.S. government’s vision for a more resilient and responsive drug supply chain. This agreement will
allow us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in pharmaceutical production, potentially transforming how we
address drug shortages and deliver life-saving medications.”
Under the EQUIP-A-Pharma program, Bright Path Laboratories will focus on:
• Developing and implementing agile manufacturing processes capable of producing multiple drug targets with
minimal reconfiguration.
• Creating advanced informatics models for real-time quality assessment of manufactured drugs.
• Demonstrating the production of at least two minimum viable product (MVP) drugs that meet current
Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) regulatory requirements.
• Contributing to the establishment of a new regulatory framework for agile pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The potential impacts of this work are far-reaching and can address critical drug shortages more rapidly, enable point-of-need manufacturing to support military operations and countermeasures, enhance the overall resilience of the pharmaceutical supply chain and develop the groundwork for more personalized medicine approaches.
“This program represents a significant leap forward in pharmaceutical manufacturing,” added Quinones. “By combining
our expertise in continuous flow chemistry with the U.S. government’s vision for agile production, we have the
opportunity to create a manufacturing paradigm that is faster, more flexible, and more responsive to public health needs.”
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Center of Industrial Base
Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) under Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) Number: HR0011-24-9-0478.
For more information about Bright Path Laboratories and its involvement in the EQUIP-A-Pharma program, please
contact: Jennifer Burgess Director, Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy, (980) 330-0802 jenniferburgess@brightpathlabs.com.
