U.S. NIH TO DEVELOP RADIATION COUNTERMEASURES

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, has selected two of U.S. drugmaker Biothera's drug candidates for a new program designed to identify and facilitate the development of radiation and nuclear medical countermeasures.

The program will evaluate compounds to treat and protect the general U.S. population against acute radiation exposure resulting from a nuclear terrorist attack or accident. The program's objective is to bring candidates through the entire drug-development process culminating in an FDA-approved drug for the national radiation countermeasure stockpile.

Radiation kills bone marrow stem cells needed to generate white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. The loss of bone marrow stem cells may result in a life-threatening condition known as myelosuppression. Research demonstrates that Biothera's Imprime WGP and Imprime PGG accelerate regeneration of bone marrow stem cells.

The orally administered compound, Imprime WGP, has several advantages that make it easier to stockpile and deploy to a large population, including stability at room temperature.