SRI International Awarded National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Contract to Develop AIDS Drug Formulations
MENLO PARK, Calif. – August 16, 2007 – SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, today announced that it has been awarded a $4.6 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to research, develop and manufacture dosage formulations for new and existing anti-HIV or AIDS-related anti-infectives and microbicides.
"New and improved drug formulations are needed to help increase the access to and the therapeutic effects of lifesaving drugs," said Helen Parish, senior director of pharmaceutical sciences in SRI's Biosciences Division. "In order to develop optimal formulations, innovative research is needed to discover and enhance the performance of drugs that can then be evaluated in NIAID-sponsored or other clinical trials. We are proud to work on this important program and have a direct impact on anti-HIV drug development."
In addition to dosage development, SRI will provide analytical chemistry evaluation of drug substances intended for pharmacology studies and clinical trials. The evaluations will help ensure that materials used in drug studies conform to FDA regulations and are of a defined quality.
SRI is a leading provider of preclinical development capabilities for anti-infective therapeutics and vaccines and manages the largest government program for the development of anti-infectives. In addition to drug formulation work, SRI conducts preclinical safety studies, pharmacokinetics and clinical manufacturing, and safety, immunogenicity, and IND preparation for HIV vaccines for NIAID.
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About SRI's Biosciences Division
SRI International's Biosciences Division is an organization of approximately 200 people with all of the resources necessary to take biological and chemical research programs from "idea to IND"™ -- from initial discovery to investigational new drug applications to start human clinical trials. SRI Biosciences conducts basic research like a university, performs drug discovery and develops biologics like a biotechnology company, and is a contract research organization (CRO) that offers a full range of preclinical development and pharmaceutical sciences services. SRI Biosciences specializes in cancer, immunology, infectious disease and neurosciences research.
To date, nine SRI drugs have entered clinical trials, with several more currently undergoing preclinical evaluation. Marketed examples of these drugs include Targretin® (bexarotene) and Halfan® (halofantrine). Additionally, working with government and industry partners, SRI has helped advance more than 100 drugs into clinical trials, a number of which have reached the market. SRI is also working at the interfaces of science to create technical platforms for the next generation of drug discovery and development in areas such as drug delivery, medical devices, diagnostics and systems biology.
About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) 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 over 60 years. 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.
