News & Technology
BARDA Funds Drug Development For Biothreats $27-$64 Million Contract Supports Development of Novel Antibiotic With Multiple Uses
populations.
The contract uses the federal gov‐ ernment’s new approach to producing medical countermeasures – the med‐ ications, vaccines, medical equipment and supplies needed for a health emer‐ gency. On Aug. 19, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released an examina‐ tion of the federal government’s sys‐ tem to produce medical countermea‐ sures, along with recommendations for a better approach. The recommenda‐ tions included developing drugs that can be used for bioterrorism as well as common illnesses, and to develop more countermeasures that are safe for children, the elderly, and other vul‐ nerable populations.
“This new antibiotic is part of our push against antibiotic resistance for certain bacterial infections, and at the same time could provide a new treat‐ ment for plague and tularemia bio‐ threats,” said BARDA Director Dr. Robin Robinson. “It’s the first time BARDA research and development funds have been used in a multi‐use approach like this.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a contract to devel‐ op an antibiotic that could be used against possibly two types of bioterror‐ ism as well as common infections that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. The contract to Achaogen Inc. of San Francisco is for $27 million in the first two years. The contract can be extend‐ ed annually for up to three years for a total of $64 million.
The planned antibiotic, ACHN‐490, would be a broad‐spectrum antibiotic
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to treat plague and tularemia infec‐ tions, both of which are possible bioterrorism agents. The antibiotic also could treat many infections that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic‐resistant infections include some of the infections people get when they are hospitalized, including pneumonia from prolonged use of a ventilator and urinary tract infections from using a catheter for an extended period of time. Also under the contract, the company will conduct studies to show that the new antibiotic is safe for children, the elderly, and other special
The contract is the first under BARDA’s Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Program, one of six areas of advanced research and develop‐ ment that use a contracting tool called a broad agency announcement. The broad agency announcement provides a way to identify innovative and promising technologies that can be developed to protect Americans from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
The current BAA research areas of interest include vaccines, antitoxins and therapeutics, antimicrobial drugs, radiological/nuclear threat counter‐ measures, chemical threat counter‐ measures, and clinical diagnostic tools. To learn more about BARDA and medical countermeasures, including The Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise Review: Transforming the Enterprise to Meet Long Range National Needs, visit
www.phe.gov. EMS
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