SIGA Awarded A $2.8M DoD Contract With Additional Options For The Development Of A Broad Spectrum Antiviral Drug
SIGA Technologies, Inc. , a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight biowarfare pathogens, recently announced it was awarded a $2.8M contract with options for up to $9.9M from the Department of Defense's Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI) through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to support the preclinical development and Investigation New Drug (IND) filing of ST-669, a broad spectrum antiviral that has demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against several different viral families. The first contract year provides for $2.8M of funding with options for additional funding over the following four years, bringing the total value of the contract up to $12.7M.
ST-669 has shown sub-micromolar in vitro antiviral activity against viruses in the Poxviridae, Filoviridae, Bunyaviridae, Arenaviridae, Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, Retroviridae, and Picornaviridae families. These viruses, some of which are designated "Category A" and "Category B" by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can generate high morbidity and mortality, and many are endemic in areas where U.S. military personnel may be deployed.
Dr. Eric Rose, SIGA's CEO, commented, "We appreciate DTRA's recognition of our efforts with this award. The government's acknowledgement and support of SIGA and other companies specializing in biodefense help to advance research of novel compounds that may play a key role in aiding U.S. citizens in the event of exposure to biological agents used in terror attacks."
Dr. Dennis Hruby, SIGA's Chief Scientific Officer, stated, "While still in the early stages of development, ST-669 is showing promise as a treatment for several dangerous diseases and this award will help us further our development of this program. There is a real need for a broad-spectrum antiviral like ST-669 to treat both the military and general population in the event of an outbreak. Although the disease itself may come from sources that are unpredictable, like a bioterror attack or an emerging virus, both origins highlight the necessity for a safe and effective countermeasure."
About the DTRA & TMTI
DTRA was founded in 1998 to integrate and focus the capabilities of the Department of Defense that address the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threat. The mission of DTRA is to safeguard America and its allies from WMD (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat, and mitigate its effects. Under DTRA, Department of Defense resources, expertise and capabilities are combined to ensure the United States remains ready and able to address the present and future WMD threats. For more information, visit http://www.dtra.mil/.
The TMTI was pioneered by The Department of Defense in 2006 to better prepare and protect the warfighter and the nation from emerging, genetically engineered, and unknown biothreat agents by providing a novel response capability from identification of pathogens to the development of medical countermeasures. For more information, visit http://www.tmti-cbdefense.org.
About SIGA Technologies, Inc.
SIGA Technologies is applying viral and bacterial genomics and sophisticated computational modeling in the design and development of novel products for the prevention and treatment of serious infectious diseases, with an emphasis on products for biological warfare defense. SIGA believes that it is a leader in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight potential bio-warfare pathogens. SIGA has antiviral programs targeting smallpox and other Category A pathogens, including arenaviruses (Lassa fever, Junin, Machupo, Guanarito, Sabia, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis), dengue virus, and the filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg). For more information, visit http://www.siga.com/.
SOURCE: SIGA Technologies, Inc.