DLH Wins Renewal of Clinical Support to NIH-Funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG)

ATLANTA, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLH Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: DLHC) (“DLH” or the “Company”), a leading provider of innovative healthcare services and solutions to federal agencies, today announced that it has been awarded a contract to continue operating the AIDS Clinical Trials Group’s (ACTG) Network Coordinating Center (NCC). ACTG, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the world’s largest and longest running HIV clinical trials network, conducting research to improve the treatment of HIV, its co-infections, and its comorbidities. The NCC collaborates with ACTG leadership to provide technical, scientific, and administrative support.

DLH’s award under this contract has an estimated total value of up to $42 million (one base year and six option years). This contract is a subaward to DLH from the ACTG Leadership and Operations Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, which has been funded for the next seven years by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and collaborating NIH institutes. ACTG was the first clinical trials network to focus on HIV and currently has sites in 15 countries. ACTG often carries out other epidemiological studies and, in 2020, implemented the ACTIV-2 study, a trial to identify effective treatments for early COVID-19.

“DLH is honored to continue its longstanding support of ACTG in its mission to cure HIV and reduce the burden of other emerging infectious diseases,” said DLH President and Chief Executive Officer Zach Parker. “This work combines many of our strengths as a company -- managing a consortium of partners, leveraging clinical trials expertise, and developing innovative technology -- all in the service of our customer’s vital public health mission.”

“DLH values its relationship with ACTG and is deeply proud of our sustained commitment to this critical public health initiative,” added Jeanine Christian, President of DLH’s Public Health & Scientific Research operating unit.

DLH has managed the NCC since 1987. In this role, DLH staff facilitate the implementation of the network’s scientific research agenda, providing technical and clinical support to ACTG and its community advocates. Responsibilities include protocol development and implementation, site capacity development, and facilitation of network consortium partner collaboration and communications. DLH developed and customized a secure information management system to support the network’s governance, administrative and scientific structure. Named the ‘Network Management Information System’ (MIS), this innovative, web-based information management system was uniquely adapted to support the work of the NCC.