11 August 2014
BioFactura and Collaborators to Develop an Ebola Drug Under NIH Partnerships Grant
BioFactura, Inc. is a collaborator on a grant awarded to The Geneva Foundation. Ebola drug development funding will be provided under a Partnerships for Biodefense grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The project team is led by The Geneva Foundation (Seattle, WA) and includes partners at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID, Ft. Detrick, MD) and the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (Newark, DE). During the 5-year grant, the team aims to develop an effective monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based drug against Sudan ebolavirus.
Currently, there are no established treatments for Ebola infection. Over the past five years, three Ebola outbreaks involving a Sudan strain of the virus have occurred. The need for strain-specific Ebola countermeasures is imperative for treating infected patients and effectively containing outbreaks. The research team looks forward to developing a promising and urgently needed Ebola treatment that targets the Sudan strain of the virus.
About BioFactura, Inc.: BioFactura (Rockville MD) develops and commercializes high-value novel and generic biopharmaceuticals (biosimilars) using its patented StableFast™ Biomanufacturing Platform. The Company accomplishes this mission through partnering and licensing agreements with academic institutions, federal laboratories, and mid-to large-pharma companies. The spectrum of these programs ranges from grant- and contract-funded early-stage drug development to advancing and commercializing BioFactura’s in-house products at the preclinical and early clinical stages.
About the Geneva Foundation: The Geneva Foundation (Geneva), is a non-profit organization headquartered in Tacoma, WA. Established in April 1993, Geneva’s mission is to support and advance innovative medical research and excellence in education within the U.S. military. Geneva builds enduring partnerships dedicated to the health and wellbeing of U.S. service members, their families, and the global community. Through these partnerships, Geneva connects military researchers to educational and research opportunities in a variety of therapeutic areas. The Foundation strives to work hand-in-hand with its partners to shape the future of military medicine.
About the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID): USAMRIID’s mission is to protect the warfighter from biological threats and to be prepared to investigate disease outbreaks or threats to public health. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to medical solutions, vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and information-that benefit both military personnel and civilians. The Institute plays a key role as the lead military medical research laboratory for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.
About the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology: Located in Newark, Delaware, FhCMB is developing a safe, rapid and economical alternative for the production of vaccines and therapeutics. The Center conducts research in the area of plant biotechnology, utilizing new, cutting edge approaches to assist the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of human and animal diseases. The Center houses individuals with expertise and excellence in plant virology, pathology, molecular biology, immunology, protein engineering, biochemistry, quality assurance, and quality control, regulatory and clinical affairs. The Center’s GMP production facility provides complete capabilities from target expression through Phase 1 and 2 clinical product development.
The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical facts are “forward-looking” statements (identified by the words “believe”, “estimate”, “project”, “expect” or similar expressions) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, continued acceptance of the Company’s products and services in the marketplace, competitive factors, changes in the regulatory environment, and other risks detailed in the Company’s periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are made as of today, based upon information currently known to management, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.