SRI International Awarded Department of Defense Contract to Develop Drug to Protect Soldiers from Chemical Warfare Agents
MENLO PARK, Calif. -- March 20, 2007 -- SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, today announced that it has been awarded a comprehensive contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to develop and deliver 90,000 doses of a prophylactic drug that will protect soldiers against poisoning by organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents.
In response to the U.S. military's need for fast-track development of chemical warfare countermeasures, under the new contract SRI will further develop a promising compound identified by SRI as part of earlier studies for the U.S. Army. Over several decades, SRI has sought new drugs to protect soldiers against potential chemical, biological, and nuclear threats and infectious diseases. As part of those studies, SRI conducted extensive research on small molecules for defense against acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibiting agents such as OP nerve agents. SRI's small molecule approach seeks to provide new drugs that are inexpensive, easy to manufacture and formulate, and with a long shelf life. Such drugs could be developed into drugs faster than options such as recombinant proteins. From SRI's large library of compounds, researchers selected the optimum lead with back-up candidates ideal for the DoD program.
SRI's prophylactic will first be advanced through preclinical efficacy and toxicology studies. SRI will be responsible for all product development activities and will prepare the drug to enter clinical assessment under an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The product developed will be water-soluble and water-stable, providing long shelf stability for dosage forms that can be readily available. SRI intends to have the drug ready for initial human safety studies in less than two years.
The DoD contract is milestone-driven, requiring U.S. Army approval for advancement to the next step. SRI applies this approach to much of its drug discovery and development activities for government and industry clients.
"As a nonprofit research institute working in the public’s interest, SRI is proud to work on this important program for the U.S. Army, which ultimately will help safeguard the lives of soldiers facing chemical threats," said Robert B. Wilson, Ph.D., director, Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, SRI International. "Our drug development team has strong experience moving drugs to clinical trials, and the multidisciplinary team we have assembled understands the technical issues and requirements to move this prophylactic through the development and regulatory process rapidly and into the field."
About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 60 years. SRI has more than 50 years of experience in drug discovery and development and has helped advance more than 100 drugs into clinical trials and more than 30 drugs onto the market. The nonprofit research institute performs client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, and private foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships, and creates spin-off companies.
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