MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Minneapolis-based Humanetics Corporation (Humanetics) has been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to continue the development of their proprietary radiomodulator compound, BIO 300, as a treatment to mitigate the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure in the lungs. Research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Isabel L. Jackson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director of the Medical Countermeasure Program in the Department’s Division of Translational Radiation Sciences.
The two-year $597,000 grant will be used to fund research that will expand upon successful efficacy data collected under a recent contract that Humanetics completed with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
The delayed effects of acute radiation exposure in the lungs include pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis. These are potentially life-threatening injuries that could pose a risk to individuals and populations exposed to high levels of radiation.
"Although there are approved drugs to support acute injury, there are no drugs to prevent the development of delayed injury to the lungs, which can manifest weeks to months after exposure," said Dr. Jackson. “This injury is very serious and can be life-threatening.”
BIO 300 was originally developed as a radioprotectant by researchers within the Department of Defense. It was exclusively licensed to Humanetics Corporation which is directing its further development. The drug is currently in a phase I/II clinical trial in lung cancer patients being treated with radiation and chemotherapy.
“We are very excited that NIAID sees the continued potential of BIO 300 as a drug that can be used to protect those at risk of radiation exposure. The research conducted under this grant will help accelerate the development of BIO 300,” said, Dr. Michael D. Kaytor, PhD, Director of Research and Development of Humanetics Corporation. "We look forward to working with Dr. Jackson and her team to further develop this promising new drug candidate.”
About Humanetics Corporation
Humanetics Corporation is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company engaged in developing and commercializing products to enhance human health and wellbeing in markets with urgent and unmet needs with a focus on radiation modulators for oncology, medical imaging and medical countermeasure uses. For more information, visit www.humaneticscorp.com.
About the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Established in 1807, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was the first public medical school in the United States, and the first to institute a residency-training program. The School of Medicine was the founding school of the University of Maryland and today is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. On the University of Maryland's Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine serves as the anchor for a large academic health center which aims to provide the best medical education, conduct the most innovative biomedical research and provide the best patient care and community service to Maryland and beyond. www.medschool.umaryland.edu.
