Defense Health Agency team wins program management award for securing FDA clearance of canine plasma

A critical medical breakthrough for military working dogs earned top honors during the Military Health System Research Symposium, Kissimmee, Florida, Aug. 3, 2026.

The Canine Freeze-Dried Plasma (cFDP) Integrated Product Team earned the MHSRS Program Management Award in recognition of its exceptional collaboration in securing the first-ever Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for a cFDP product.

Operating under the Warfighter Protection and Acute Care (WPAC) Program Management Office—a component of the Defense Health Agency’s Assistant Director for Research, Development and Acquisition/Component Acquisition Executive office—the IPT successfully navigated complex manufacturing and regulatory hurdles to deliver a shelf-stable, life-saving product for the Department of War's (DoW) four-legged warfighters.

"This Program Management Award reflects the relentless dedication of the entire Integrated Product Team to bridge the gap between science and advanced development," said Kendra Lawrence, Ph.D., WPAC program manager. "Our success in achieving FDA clearance ahead of schedule is a direct result of unprecedented collaboration across the Services, our contract partners, and the end-user community to deliver a critical capability."

Filling a Critical Need

Military Working Dogs (MWDs) are invaluable strategic assets across the Joint Force, providing explosive detection, search and rescue, and critical combat support. Like their human counterparts, MWDs operate in austere, highly dangerous environments where trauma-induced severe blood loss is a leading cause of mortality.

Historically, treating fluid loss and controlling hemorrhage in MWDs required traditional whole blood and fresh frozen plasma. These products demand strict cold-chain refrigeration, making them difficult to transport and sustain in remote military locations.

The cFDP program directly addresses this concern. The approved cFDP is highly portable, shelf-stable at room temperature for at least one year, and ready for administration within minutes of reconstitution at the point of injury.

Overcoming Development Hurdles

While the cFDP program was initiated as a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) effort by U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the WPAC team navigated complex supply chain and development hurdles throughout the process.

Through highly innovative manufacturing strategies, the WPAC team helped successfully build an independent, U.S.-based supply chain, according to Lawrence.

"The agility of this team in overcoming critical manufacturing bottlenecks and supply chain shortages was phenomenal," said Lawrence. "By bringing key capabilities in-house and establishing a robust, U.S.-based manufacturing pipeline, we ensured this life-saving product would get into the hands of those treating our military working dogs right at the point of injury."

Early Delivery and Future DoW Integration

The team’s development strategies culminated in a historic milestone in December 2025, when WPAC’s commercial partner and cFDP developer, Mantel Technologies, received a low-risk determination letter from the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. By February 2026, the product launched for commercial pre-sales—achieving Initial and Full Operational Capability (IOC/FOC) well ahead of schedule.

Under the leadership of U.S. Army Lt. Col. Sheila Johnson, WPAC’s former cFDP product manager, the cFDP IPT maintained unmatched communication with the end-user communities across the DoW.

During the next steps in the development and acquisition process, the WPAC development team will drive future review milestones during the next fiscal year. Current sustainment actions include the following:

• Formulary Integration:Adding cFDP to the U.S. Army Veterinary Medical Standardization Board Small Animal Formulary, with ongoing efforts to include it in veterinary assemblages and the Joint Deployment Formulary.
• Logistics and Procurement:Establishing pathways for the U.S. military services to procure the product through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Electronic Catalog (eCAT) and working to obtain a National Stock Number (NSN).
• Curriculum Development:Coordinating with Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCOE) personnel to formally incorporate cFDP instruction into standard training curriculums, utilizing newly available training kits.

The cFDP program stands as a prime example of successfully transitioning science and technology into advanced development, ultimately transforming point-of-injury trauma care and saving the lives of the DoW's canine warfighters.

Disclaimer: This information includes elements of AI-generated content, which were reviewed and edited by relevant DoW personnel to verify appropriateness and compliance with DoW policies and guidance.

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