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news.Optimer Pharmaceuticals has recently been awarded two grants from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support the company's development of anti-infection drugs.
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The first grant is a one-year “small business innovation research – advanced technology” (SBIR-AT) grant of $734,965, which will be used in the development of the company’s lead clinical drug candidate, OPT-80, which is being evaluated as a treatment for clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), and is currently in phase II clinical studies.
OPT-80 has received fast-track designation from the FDA and is participating in the agency’s “continuous marketing application” pilot 2 program.
CDAD, a severe form of antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by the bacterium, clostridium difficile, is a growing problem worldwide. In recent years, outbreaks of a hypervirulent clostridial strain with an elevated mortality rate have been reported worldwide.
The second award received is a two year phase II SBIR grant of $1.19 million which will support further development of novel semi-synthetic macrolides and ketolides as potential anti-microbial agents that may be active against resistant bacteria.
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious worldwide health problem in both hospital and community settings.
“SBIR is a highly competitive program that stimulates and supports small businesses like ours,” said Dr Michael Chang, president of Optimer. “We are very excited to receive these NIAID grants and consider them a validation of our R&D efforts in the anti-infection arena.”