Source: Health & Human Services
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Treatment could be used for other blood disorders and complications of
cancer
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced
Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a $153 million
contract to Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. of San Carlos, Calif., to
continue developing a new way to treat an illness caused by exposure to
high levels of ionizing radiation which can damage the body's cells -
the type of radiation that would come from a nuclear blast.
Under the contract, the company will continue development of a
medication called CLT-008 that uses a special kind of cells called
myeloid progenitor cells. The medicine potentially could be used to
treat the illness known as neutropenia, an abnormally low number of
white blood cells. In addition, the treatment potentially could be used
for other blood disorders and complications of cancer in which blood
cells and platelets need to be replenished.
The body has progenitor cells that can grow into any kind of blood cell
the body needs. CLT-008 is being developed to support and add to the
patient's own progenitor cells.
The contract to Cellerant is for approximately $63.2 million in the
first two years. The contract can be extended annually for up to three
years for an additional $89.9 million.
Today's contract is a follow on from a previous contract between BARDA
and Cellerant which supported advanced research and development of this
cell-based treatment. Under the new contract, the company will conduct
additional studies and validate their manufacturing process in order to
apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensure of this method of
treating neutropenia.
The contract uses the federal government's new approach to producing
medical countermeasures - the medications, vaccines, medical equipment
and supplies needed for a health emergency. On Aug. 19, HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius released a review of the federal government's system
to produce medical countermeasures, along with recommendations for a
better approach. The recommendations included developing drugs that can
be used for bioterrorism as well as common illnesses.
To learn more about BARDA and medical countermeasures, including The
Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise Review:
Transforming the Enterprise to Meet Long Range National Needs, visit
www.phe.gov.
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