HHS within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) https://www.phe.gov/aspr and Johnson & Johnson are expanding a strategic partnership to protect against threats affecting the health of the population.
The expansion will focus on developing innovative products to combat the potentially deadly health effects of chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear threats, emerging infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistant infections.
ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in developing a portfolio of products https://www.phe.gov/barda, will manage the portfolio with Johnson & Johnson https://www.jnj.com. BARDA will have joint oversight, share the cost of developing a portfolio with Johnson & Johnson, and help to determine which products to develop.
Under the agreement, BARDA will provide more than $28 million over two years and up to $200 million over six years. Johnson & Johnson will also provide a significant portion of the funding to bring products to the market.
The first project funded will be an early development compound that can be used for acute radiation syndrome and deal with certain potential chemical threats. The compound has demonstrated enhanced survival and beneficial effects on blood cells that can be injured by high doses of radiation.
Although the portfolio will focus on countermeasures for radiation and nuclear threats, the agreement also allows BARDA and Johnson & Johnson to develop a portfolio of medical products. These products will address bleeding caused by trauma, injuries caused by chemical and emerging threats, and bacterial infections.
Genentech https://www.gene.com, a member of the Roche Group of San Francisco and BARDA will focus on developing a first in-class therapeutic for hospitalized influenza patients and a treatment for lung injuries caused by inhaling sulfur mustard gas.
BARDA is going to provide $19 million over 18 months to advance the development of tPA to treat acute lung injuries caused by inhaling sulfur mustard gas. Currently, there aren’t any FDA-approved therapeutics to help severely ill patients hospitalized with influenza or to treat international inhalation injuries due to sulfur mustard.
In addition, BARDA is going to sponsor the development of two new testing technologies under an 18 month $9.3 million contract with SeLux Diagnostic, Inc. of Charlestown Massachusetts. SeLux Diagnostics https://www.seluxdx.com is developing a test to identify bacteria more precisely by observing physical or biochemical characteristics of bacteria. The ability to match bacteria more precisely to drugs to combat infections could also curb antibiotic resistant infections.
BARDA funding will support the research so that SeLux Diagnostics will be able to apply for FDA approval. The agreement with BARDA can be extended to fund additional work up to about $36 million through 2023.