CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vericel Corporation (NASDAQ:VCEL), a leader in advanced therapies for the sports medicine and severe burn care markets, has been awarded a ten-year contract valued at up to $197 million by the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 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.

The base period contract of $35 million includes approximately $10 million over the next 12 months for the initial procurement of NexoBrid for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and VMI establishment, funding for VMI-related services and initial development activities for a potential expanded NexoBrid indication for the treatment of blast trauma injuries. 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.

“We are very pleased to partner with BARDA to support U.S. national preparedness for potential mass casualty events involving severe thermal burns and blast trauma injuries,” said Nick Colangelo, President and CEO of Vericel. “We believe that this contract demonstrates the significant clinical value of NexoBrid and will support the continued expansion of NexoBrid utilization in the U.S.”

About Vericel Corporation
Vericel is a leading provider of advanced therapies for the sports medicine and severe burn care markets.  The Company combines innovations in biology with medical technologies, resulting in a highly differentiated portfolio of innovative cell therapies and specialty biologics that repair injuries and restore lives. Vericel markets three products in the United States. MACI (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane) is an autologous cellularized scaffold product indicated for the repair of symptomatic, single or multiple full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee with or without bone involvement in adults. Epicel (cultured epidermal autografts) is a permanent skin replacement for the treatment of patients with deep dermal or full thickness burns greater than or equal to 30% of total body surface area. Vericel also holds an exclusive license for North American rights to NexoBrid (anacaulase-bcdb), a biological orphan product containing proteolytic enzymes, which is indicated for eschar removal in adults and pediatric patients with deep partial-thickness and/or full-thickness thermal burns.  For more information, please visit www.vcel.com.

Epicel^® and MACI^® are registered trademarks of Vericel Corporation. NexoBrid^® is a registered trademark used under license to Vericel Corporation. © 2026 Vericel Corporation. All rights reserved.

About BARDA
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides an integrated, systematic approach to the development and purchase of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies and diagnostic tools for public health medical emergencies. For more information, refer to www.phe.gov/about/BARDA. The procurement and further development of NexoBrid pursuant to this program has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under contract no. 75A50126C00002.

Forward-Looking Statements
Vericel cautions you that all statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for the forward-looking statements contained herein, they are based on current expectations about future events affecting us and are subject to risks, assumptions, uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. These statements are often, but are not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects,” “continues,” “believe,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “future,” “potential,” “goals” and similar words or phrases, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or similar expressions.

Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, uncertainties associated with the potential benefits of the agreement with BARDA and the availability of funding from BARDA, timing and conduct of clinical trial and product development activities, competitive developments, changes in third-party coverage and reimbursement, including recent and future healthcare reform measures and private payor initiatives, physician and burn center adoption of NexoBrid, labor strikes, supply chain disruptions or other world events or factors that might affect the supply of sufficient quantities of NexoBrid to meet customer demand, changes in trade policies and regulations, including the potential for increases or changes in duties, current and potentially new tariffs or quotas, lingering effects of adverse developments affecting financial institutions, companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, possible changes in governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including, but not limited to, Federal Reserve policies in connection with continued inflationary pressures, the impact from future regulatory, judicial and legislative changes to our industry or to the broader business landscape, including those included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, global geopolitical tensions and potential future impacts on our business or the economy generally stemming from a public health emergency.

These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Vericel’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2026, and in other filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements reflect our views as of the date hereof and Vericel does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release except as required by law.

Investor Contact: 
Eric Burns
ir@vcel.com
+1 (734) 418-4411