NIAID to assess cethromycin for biodefense

USA-based Advanced Life Sciences Holdings has entered a collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the lead governmental institute supporting biodefense research, under which the latter will conduct studies to evaluate cethromycin, the company's late-stage, novel, once-daily antibiotic, as a treatment for anthrax and other high-priority biodefense agents.

This accord is part of the US Government's effort to accelerate the R&D of medical countermeasures to bioterrorism, through the crucial phase of drug development between basic research and acquisition of final products under Project BioShield. This provides the Department of Health and Human Services with the authority and funding to procure promising solutions for addition to the Strategic National Stockpile, which is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) store of medical supplies to protect the American public in the event of a public health emergency.

Michael Flavin, chief executive of the firm, said, "this partnership with the NIAID will expand the data on cethromycin as a biodefense application, and we expect the results to strengthen our efforts in positioning cethromycin for purchase by the US government."