Monday, May 23, 2022
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 Antimicrobial Resistance

Collaboration Among BARDA, DTRA, USAMRIID and Spero to Advance SPR994

by Global Biodefense Staff
July 16, 2018
Medical Countermeasure Development

Credit: Shutterstock, modified.

Spero Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it was awarded funding of $15.7 million, with the potential for up to an additional $28.5 million over 5 years, from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

The funding will support the further clinical development of Spero’s oral carbapenem product candidate, SPR994, for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) caused by antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacteria. As part of the inter-agency collaboration with Spero, a series of studies to assess the efficacy of SPR994 in the treatment of infections caused by biodefense threats such as anthrax, plague and melioidosis will be conducted by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).

In addition, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) will provide support up to $10 million to fund the nonclinical biodefense aspects of the inter-agency collaboration. The collaboration may also include a clinical trial in pneumonia patients, an indication for which tebipenem, SPR994’s active pharmaceutical ingredient, is currently approved in Japan for pediatric use.

Together, the two agencies will provide up to $54.2 million in total funding for the clinical development and biodefense assessment of SPR994, a portion of which is subject to the exercise of options by BARDA and Spero’s achievement of specified milestones.

“We are honored to be the recipient of an award and to join BARDA and DTRA in this unique inter-agency collaboration. We look forward to advancing SPR994 through clinical development for public and biodefense use as we target public health needs caused by emerging drug-resistant infections,” said Ankit Mahadevia, M.D., CEO of Spero Therapeutics. “We believe the funding is a validation of the clinical potential of SPR994 across a broad treatment landscape, and of the ability of a small biotech company to work towards bringing these innovative therapies to patients in collaboration with our partners at BARDA and DTRA.”

The award from BARDA commits $15.7 million of guaranteed initial funding and up to an additional $28.5 million over 5 years if BARDA exercises all of its options under the award.  Additionally, DTRA will commit  $1.25 million of initial support, and up to an additional $8.75 million upon the achievement of specified milestones.

In preclinical studies, SPR994 has shown potent antibiotic activity against Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli-producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, similar to IV-administered ertapenem. Approximately 1,200 subjects have been dosed with tebipenem in clinical and pharmacologic studies conducted by Meiji during its development of tebipenem in Japan.  In addition, available post-marketing outcomes data report the safety and efficacy of tebipenem in 3,540 pediatric patients with pneumonia, otitis media or sinusitis, and these data are consistent with the safety profile of tebipenem as observed in the clinical trial conducted by Meiji.

Tags: AnthraxAwardsBARDABurkholderiaDefense Threat Reduction AgencyMelioidosisUSAMRIIDY. pestis

Related Posts

NIH to Further Invest in Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network
Biodetection

NIH to Further Invest in Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network

May 10, 2022
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Opens Grant Program to Shore Up Avian Flu Biosecurity
Biosecurity

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Opens Grant Program to Shore Up Avian Flu Biosecurity

April 13, 2022
New Research on Building Blocks of Poxviruses Could Lead to Antiviral Drugs
Medical Countermeasures

New Research on Building Blocks of Poxviruses Could Lead to Antiviral Drugs

April 10, 2022
Yersinia pestis
Funding News

NIH Awards $3M Grant to Albany Med for Plague Vaccine Development

April 8, 2022
Load More

Latest News

NIH to Further Invest in Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network

NIH to Further Invest in Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network

May 10, 2022

How a COVID-19 Infection Spurs Antibodies Against Common Colds

May 8, 2022
Hospitals Resilience to Extreme Events: One-Third of Staff May Be Lost During a Disaster

Hospitals Resilience to Extreme Events: One-Third of Staff May Be Lost During a Disaster

May 6, 2022
Where is Testing Needed Most During Pandemic Surges? WVU Researchers Develop Machine Learning Prediction Tools

Where is Testing Needed Most During Pandemic Surges? WVU Researchers Develop Machine Learning Prediction Tools

May 6, 2022

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC

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

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC