Monday, May 29, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Funding News

UW, UTMB and Kineta Awarded Grant for Biodefense Antivirals

by Global Biodefense Staff
May 9, 2012

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded an $8.1M biodefense grant to develop new drugs to treat some of the world’s most dangerous diseases, including Ebola, plague, Marburg, Japanese encephalitis, and other lethal pathogens.

The recipients are a collaborative research effort between the University of Washington (UW), University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, and Seattle-based biotech company Kineta, Inc.

The project leverages discoveries from ongoing collaborations between Kineta and UW to develop novel antiviral drugs and vaccine boosters called adjuvants. Dr. Michael Katze, a UW Professor of Microbiology and Associate Director of the Washington Regional Primate Research Center, will provide bioinformatics and systems biology genomics analysis. Dr. Shawn Iadonato, Chief Scientific Officer at Kineta, will lead drug optimization and in-vivo pharmacology work. Dr. Thomas Geisbert, of University of Texas Medical Branch and the Galveston National Lab (GNL), will oversee research on Biosafety Level 4 (BSL 4) viral agents, including Ebola and Nipah viruses.

“This award enables us to push further and work with more high priority viruses,” said UW Professor Dr. Michael Gale, Jr., principal investigator of the grant. “These diseases are major concerns of the United States government for their risk of sparking a pandemic and their potential use as bioterrorist weapons. By utilizing an innate immune pathway we hope to develop better drugs that won’t be out-smarted by viral mutation.”

The new infusion of support will help Kineta’s advancement of two small molecule drug candidates. The biotech company also received a $2.8M NIAID grant in 2011 for the advancement of drugs that target deadly RNA viruses.

Tags: AntiviralsAwardsBiosafetyEbolaMarburgPandemic

Related Posts

Vials of finished vaccines
Funding News

UK Biomanufacturing Fund to Bolster Supply Chain Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness

May 26, 2023
Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics
Industry News

Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

April 20, 2023
Medical Countermeasures

Scientists Design Molecule to Slow SARS-Cov-2 Infection

March 29, 2023
Partner Therapeutics’ Novel Approach to Stratify Sepsis Patients Gains Backing From BARDA
Funding News

Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) Initiative Backed by $105M DOE Funding

January 25, 2023
Load More

Latest News

Vials of finished vaccines

UK Biomanufacturing Fund to Bolster Supply Chain Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness

May 26, 2023
Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

April 26, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

April 25, 2023
Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

April 20, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC