Description

This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified business sources, including small businesses; (2) whether they are any businesses, including small business; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. Project Description and Requirements: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalizations in the U.S. and 80% of patients receive antibacterials. New rapid respiratory viral panels (RVP) are increasingly identifying viral pathogens in patients with CAP. Hospitalized patients with non-severe CAP are more likely to have a viral etiology vs. patients severe CAP. Bacterial co-infection affects only 2-35% of patients with viral CAP, with the non-severe patients at the lower end of this range. A large majority of patients with viral CAP, especially those with non-severe CAP, receive no benefit from antibiotics and only harm from antibacterial exposure. Most patients (80-95%) who started on antibacterials receive full treatment durations, further exacerbating potential risk for those unnecessarily treated, in addition to the societal risk of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Unnecessary antibacterial therapy causes harm and contributes to higher hospitalization costs. Up to 20% of hospitalized patients who receive antibacterials suffer an adverse event. Antibacterial use contributes to the public health crisis of antibacterial resistance. Alterations in the microbiome due to antimicrobial use have been linked to obesity, chronic inflammation, and oncologic outcomes. A focus on antibacterial therapy in patients with viral infections may distract from providing evidence-based antiviral treatment. Expenditures averaged $33,380 for each CAP hospitalization. Reducing the unnecessary antibiotic use and its adverse effects will lower this cost directly and indirectly. In July 2025, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) published guidelines recommending antibiotics for all hospitalized patients with viral pneumonia and all outpatients with viral pneumonia and comorbidities (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.202507-1692ST), based on pathologic specimens showing bacterial co-infection from patients who died in the 1918 influenza epidemic and the 1957-58 Asian flu epidemic and theoretical risk. The recommendation did not reach consensus, only simple majority. The guidelines further reco…

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