The new contract with the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Project Manager Transformational Medical Technologies (JPM-TMT) program, will allow Sarepta to evaluate the tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of intramuscular AVI-7288.
Sarepta is also developing AVI-7288 as an intravenous formulation, under a separate, pre-existing contract with JPM-TMT.
Sarepta president and CEO Chris Garabedian said the ability to administer drugs via an intramuscular route represents a major reduction in the logistical burden on the Warfighter, and also provides a practical way to treat many people quickly during an emergency.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide an effective medical countermeasure for Marburg virus where none currently exists," Garabedian added.
Due to imposed funding constraints at the DoD, Sarepta received a temporary stop-work order with respect to its Ebola program.
By 30 September 2012, the DoD will either terminate the Ebola portion of the contract, cancel the stop-work order or again extend the stop-work order period, according to the company.