Photo By Cameron Parks | Dr. Stephen Ferrara, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs,...... read more read more
The award for Outstanding Program Management (Team) was announced today during the annual Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida, with honors going to Andrew Atkinson and Kendra Lawrence, Ph.D., for their efforts in developing freeze-dried blood plasma for use by the Joint Force.
Both are part of the Defense Health Agency’s Operational Medical Systems program management office, where Atkinson serves as a product manager in the Warfighter Protection and Acute Care project management office and Lawrence as the WPAC project manager.
The team was recognized for “significant achievement in product development through…depth of expertise, flexibility in acquisition and regulatory strategies, and unwavering commitment to find solutions to priority medical gaps,” as part of WPAC’s Freeze-Dried Plasma development program, according to the award citation.
“I’m incredibly honored to be part of the team that has brought FDP to force-enabling reality. Blood products are a critical and urgent need across the Department of Defense and the service branches, and FDP is a game-changer to fill capability gaps at the front line,” said Atkinson. “Our focus has always been to enhance Warfighter readiness and to provide a solution for military medical providers that works across the spectrum of conflict.
“FDP, because it is so user-friendly, portable, cost-effective, and shelf stable, is form-fitted for use by both conventional and special forces literally anywhere in the world,” he added. “This award is a huge indicator that what we and our commercial partners are developing and acquiring is both urgently needed and in line with what our Joint Force partners need to save lives during future conflicts. I could not be any more proud of this team and our efforts.”
The FDP development process has evolved over the past decade. While blood plasma has been used in various forms since at least WWII, logistical challenges during combat operations required a new form of plasma to better meet the needs of military medical providers operating in new types of battlespaces.
FDP, also known as octaplasLG powder, was developed in collaboration with WPAC’s commercial partner, Octapharma USA. The product received an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in August 2024, opening the door for immediate fielding to the U.S. Joint Force for emergency use when no other FDA-approved treatment is available.
WPAC, which has a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Octapharma USA, also manages advanced development efforts for several other blood products for the DOD. This award highlights WPAC’s efforts to meet the urgent needs of the Joint Force, as well as the OPMED team’s important role in the DOD medical development enterprise, according to Lawrence.
“This award is recognition of the incredibly important work our team does each day. I am humbled to lead a team that is so dedicated and focused, and any success we have is directly attributable to the support and professionalism of each member of the WPAC team,” said Lawrence. “It also represents OPMED’s continued focus on developing solutions that meet the urgent needs of the frontline Warfighters, and I am proud to be a part of an organization that is so critical to the DOD’s warfighting mission.”
About OPMED
OPMED is the DOD’s leading force in medical development and acquisition, focused on enhancing Warfighter lethality and readiness. Project managers with the team develop and deliver next-generation, world-class medical capabilities that empower combatant commanders for Large-Scale Combat Operations, particularly within austere environments, with a twofold mission: save lives on the battlefield and swiftly return injured service members to duty.
Citations of commercial organizations or trade names do not constitute an official Department of Defense endorsement or approval of the products or services of these organizations.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 544674 |
| Location: | KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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