Emergent BioSolutions Inc. today announced that it has been awarded approximately $23 million to develop a novel multi-drug auto-injector for nerve agent antidote delivery. Emergent’s device is being designed for intramuscular self- or buddy-administration of antidotes for use in military environments and for civilian emergencies.
Under the five-year agreement, awarded through the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC), Emergent will develop a device, conduct studies to demonstrate consistent manufacture, functionality, and usability of the final device, and complete regulatory activities required to obtain approval of the product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Ease of use and rapid delivery of antidotes are critical features of auto-injectors that are intended to mitigate the health effects of nerve agent exposure,” said Adam Havey, executive vice president, business operations at Emergent BioSolutions. “Emergent’s device seeks to satisfy the requirements of the Department of Defense for a novel auto-injector platform technology, and we look forward to collaborating with our development partners to meet the DoD’s needs.”
The MCDC was established by the Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems. It is a DoD initiative within the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense that provides U.S. military forces and the nation with safe, effective, and innovative medical solutions to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
