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news.The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has granted contracts to develop diagnostic tools and drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome.
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The contracts are part of an ongoing effort to develop diagnostic tools and drugs to protect health and save lives in a radiological or nuclear emergency such as a nuclear bomb or improvised nuclear device.
BARDA has awarded a two-year, $2m contract to Apogee Biotechnology to evaluate ABC294640 efficacy in reducing GI injury caused by radiation exposure.
The drug works by inhibiting an enzyme called sphingosine kinase and has anti-inflammatory properties and can be taken orally.
BARDA has also awarded two-year, $2.9m contract to Avaxia Biologics to support preliminary efficacy studies of AVX-470.
AVX-470 inhibits the effects of a protein called tumor necrosis factor which increases inflammation.
BARDA director Robin Robinson said the early-stage results with these two anti-inflammatory agents are encouraging and the additional studies they are funding will determine whether these drugs have real promise as radiation counter measures.