Affinium Pharmaceuticals Awarded US$4.8 Million Biodefense Research Contract by United States Department of Defense/DTRA
Toronto, Ontario, January 4, 2007 — Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has executed a two–year US$4.8 million research contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). The contract will fund preclinical studies of selected compounds from Affinium’s fatty acid biosynthesis inhibitor portfolio that have demonstrated potential as therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by serious pathogens including Francisella tularensis, a potential biological warfare and bioterrorism agent. This DTRA contract builds on Affinium’s previous successful research into the inhibition of Francisella tularensis conducted with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“Our partnership with DTRA and the DoD serves as validation of Affinium’s portfolio of potent oral antibacterial therapeutics,” said Nachum Kaplan Vice President Microbiology of Affinium. “We believe that through this contract we will continue to demonstrate the high efficacy and desired pharmacokinetics of this new class of antibiotics.”
“We are excited that DTRA has partnered with Affinium and shares our view that the inhibition of the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway presents a unique opportunity to develop safe and potent oral antibiotics which can be administered to patients both inside and outside of the hospital environment”, said Owen Roberts, Chief Financial Officer of Affinium.
Under the contract, Affinium will investigate the properties of a select group of its proprietary compounds. Following these initial investigations, Affinium and its partners will conduct microdosing studies to characterize the compounds’ human pharmacokinetic properties and select a lead development candidate to undergo IND-enabling preclinical development as an oral tularemia therapeutic.
About Affinium Pharmaceuticals
Affinium Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel anti-infective medicines. AFN-1252 utilizes a unique mechanism of action by directly inhibiting the function of the bacterial fatty acid synthesis (FAS) II pathway. Affinium's FASII antibacterial programs constitute a new antibiotic franchise with the potential for multiple products targeting the FASII pathway. These programs include a broad base of long-term intellectual property: issued and pending composition of matter patents on potent orally available small molecule inhibitors of a new class of antibiotics with a unique mechanism of action, targeting an underexploited pathway.
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