Date: May 24, 2013
Company: Cempra Pharmaceuticals of Chapel Hill, N.C.
Contract amount: $17.7 million for two years
About the contract: The contract supports studies needed to request FDA approval of a drug called solithromycin to treat adults and children infected with anthrax, tularemia or community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. If approved, the drug would be the first orally administrated antibiotic approved in decades to treat children who develop community acquired bacterial pneumonia. Studies of the drug’s use in treating anthrax or tularemia will be conducted under the FDA’s Animal Efficacy Rule.
Additional information: BARDA is seeking additional proposals for broad-spectrum antimicrobials that could potentially treat or prevent illness due to biological threat agents. Proposals are accepted through a Broad Agency Announcement BARDA-BAA-12-100-SOL-00011at www.fbo.gov
Press Release: HHS funds drug development for bioterror infections