NIH has launched three pre-clinical projects to advance potential new treatments as part of the Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDG) program funded by the NIH Common Fund and led by NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
BrIDGs supports NIH contractors who perform pre-clinical services for the researchers’ free-of-charge. Researchers often apply to BRIDGs because they have hit a roadblock and need additional expertise or lack other resources.
The three pre-clinical projects selected will advance potential new treatments by studying:
- Acute radiation syndrome (Terapio Corp in Austin Texas)—the syndrome can lead to a life-threatening multi-organ illness and currently there is no FDA approved treatment for the syndrome
- Beta Thalassemia (Merganser Biotech, LLC, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)—the study will examine patients suffering from severe anemia and iron overload that could possibly damage the heart
- Cardiac arrest-induced acute brain injury (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)—the study will examine patients with acute brain injury and do this by lowering a patient’s body temperature into therapeutic induced hypothermia to improve survival rates
“BrIDG researchers and partner scientist work together to bridge the gap between a basic discovery and clinical testing, so that potential treatments will have a chance to reach patients who need them,” said Christopher P. Austin, M.D., NCATS Director.
A primary goal of a BrIDG project is to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to FDA to begin human clinical trials. To date, BrIDG scientists have generated data that supports 12 INDs submitted to the FDA, as well as one clinical trial application to Health Canada.
Also, 12 of the 13 projects in clinical trials have been evaluated. Three BrIDG-supported therapeutic agents have also gone as far as Phase II clinical trials. Third party investors have licensed seven compounds during or after their development through the BrIDG program.