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.