The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded two multimillion dollar contracts for the advanced development of drugs to treat skin and lung injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome.
Aeolus Pharmaceuticals received a contract valued at $10.4 million for the first year; it will be worth $118.4 million if extended for up to five years. The company is developing a broad-spectrum antioxidant drug to be used to treat pulmonary acute radiation syndrome. It was originally developed to reduce damage caused by radiation exposure during cancer treatments.
U.S. Biotest received a contract valued at $4.5 million for the first 16 months; it can be extended for a total of five years, up to a total of $14 million. This contract supports the advanced development of a drug to help body tissue heal after skin is exposed to ionizing radiation.
These contracts are the first by BARDA to address skin and lung injuries that arise from acute exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation after a nuclear blast, according to an HHS spokesperson.
