MediWound Reports BARDA Contract Award to Vericel for NexoBrid® Valued at up to $197 Million
Rhea-AI Summary
MediWound (Nasdaq: MDWD) announced that Vericel (NASDAQ: VCEL), its exclusive North America distributor for NexoBrid, was awarded a 10-year BARDA contract valued at up to $197 million, effective April 1, 2026. The base period is $35 million, including about $10 million over the next 12 months for initial procurement and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) setup.
Contract work covers procurement for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, VMI establishment, design and validation of a potential U.S. manufacturing facility, development of a room-temperature stable formulation, and clinical development for a possible blast-trauma indication.
Positive
- Contract value up to $197 million over ten years
- Base funding of $35 million includes ~$10 million in next 12 months
- Effective date of contract is April 1, 2026
- Scope includes procurement, VMI, U.S. facility design and formulation development
Negative
- Optional awards mean most of $197M is contingent, not guaranteed
- Realization risk depends on future clinical, manufacturing and procurement milestones
News Market Reaction – MDWD
In the Apr 2 session, MDWD gained 3.77%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +3.0% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 5 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 05 | Annual report filing | Neutral | -2.4% | Form 20-F filing with audited 2025 financials and disclosures. |
| Mar 05 | Earnings results | Positive | -0.8% | Reported 2025 revenue, cash balance, and reaffirmed 2026–2028 guidance. |
| Feb 19 | Earnings date set | Neutral | +0.9% | Announced timing and access details for Q4 and full-year 2025 results. |
| Feb 17 | Conference appearances | Positive | +2.6% | Planned presentations at major healthcare investor conferences. |
| Jan 12 | Corporate update | Positive | -7.9% | Outlined EscharEx trial plans, NexoBrid capacity expansion, and multi-year revenue guidance. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent history shows mixed alignment: the stock sometimes sold off on fundamentally positive updates, but reactions to neutral or administrative items have often aligned with the news tone.
Over the last few months, MediWound has focused on financial reporting, guidance, and corporate visibility. A January 12 corporate update highlighted EscharEx Phase III progress, a sixfold NexoBrid capacity increase, and 2026–2028 revenue guidance, yet the stock fell 7.86%. Subsequent conference and earnings-date announcements in February saw modest gains. Formal 2025 results and the Form 20-F filing in early March coincided with slight declines. Today’s BARDA-related news ties directly to NexoBrid commercialization, extending that operational narrative.
Key Terms
biomedical advanced research and development authority regulatory
vendor managed inventory technical
strategic national stockpile regulatory
blast trauma injuries medical
room temperature stable formulation technical
u.s. department of health and human services regulatory
administration for strategic preparedness and response regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
MediWound Reports BARDA Contract Award to Vericel for NexoBrid® Valued at up to
YAVNE, Israel, April 2, 2026 — MediWound Ltd. (Nasdaq: MDWD), a global leader in next-generation enzymatic therapeutics focused on non-surgical tissue repair, today announced that Vericel Corporation (NASDAQ:VCEL), its exclusive distributor of NexoBrid® in North America, has been awarded a ten-year contract valued at up to
Vericel reported that the contract is for the procurement of NexoBrid, establishment and maintenance of a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) system, design and validation of a U.S.-based manufacturing facility, and the development of a next generation formulation and additional indication for NexoBrid.
Vericel further reported that the base period contract of
According to Vericel, the ten-year contract, effective as of April 1, 2026, also includes optional awards for additional NexoBrid procurement to expand the Strategic National Stockpile, further clinical development for a potential blast trauma indication, design and validation of a potential U.S.-based manufacturing facility and the development and procurement of a room temperature stable formulation of NexoBrid.
About NexoBrid®
NexoBrid is a topically administered, biological orphan drug for the enzymatic removal of eschar in patients with deep partial- and full-thickness thermal burns. It selectively removes non-viable tissue while preserving viable tissue and is approved for use in adults and pediatric patients in over 40 countries, including the United States, European Union, and Japan.
NexoBrid development has been supported with federal funds from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under contract HHSO100201500035C.About MediWound Ltd.
About MediWound
MediWound Ltd. (Nasdaq: MDWD) is a global biotechnology company pioneering enzymatic, non-surgical therapies for tissue repair. The company’s FDA-approved biologic, NexoBrid®, is indicated for the enzymatic removal of eschar in thermal burns and is marketed in the United States, European Union, Japan, and additional international markets. MediWound’s late-stage pipeline product, EscharEx®, is an investigational therapy for the debridement of chronic wounds, with potential to become a new standard of care in wound management.
For more information, visit www.mediwound.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MediWound’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control.
This press release is based, in part, on information reported by Vericel Corporation, MediWound’s exclusive distributor of NexoBrid® in North America, regarding its contract with BARDA, and MediWound has not independently verified such information.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” and similar expressions. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the expected benefits related to the BARDA contract awarded to Vericel, including potential procurement of NexoBrid®, development activities, and the potential impact on MediWound.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the timing, scope and extent of BARDA procurement and the exercise of contract options; MediWound’s relationship with Vericel and its role under the distribution agreement; risks related to regulatory approvals and clinical development activities; the inherent uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of biopharmaceutical products; market acceptance of our products; competition; our ability to manufacture and supply our products; and other factors described in MediWound’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed on March 5, 2026, and subsequent reports on Form 6-K.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. MediWound undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
MediWound Contacts: | |||
| Hani Luxenburg Chief Financial Officer MediWound Ltd. ir@mediwound.com | Daniel Ferry Managing Director LifeSci Advisors, LLC daniel@lifesciadvisors.com |