Battelle recently announced it has entered into a research and development agreement with Nanotherapeutics Inc. to expedite the creation of new medical countermeasures for deployed military forces facing a variety of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
The agreement comes in the wake of a deadly chemical weapons attack reportedly carried out by Bashar al-Assad’s regime in southern Idlib, Syria, which killed more than 70 people. To prepare for potential military intervention, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) requested new medical countermeasures, including vaccines, post-exposure prophylactics, and treatments for acute chemical exposure.
Under the agreement, Battelle will provide research and development expertise for new medical countermeasures while Nanotherapeutics will manufacture new treatments for testing and use.
“The alliance between the two companies will enable faster and more effective development of medical countermeasures to protect and treat military populations against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks and outbreaks of naturally occurring emerging and genetically engineered infectious diseases,” Nanotherapeutics President and CEO Prasad Raje said.
In recent years, various companies have chosen not to participate in developing new medical countermeasures primarily due to the low expected return on investment (ROI). Due to the recent expansion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Priority Review Voucher Program, however, Battelle said it expected an increased potential ROI.
The companies also said their partnership provided them an opportunity to reduce risk.
“Battelle is in a unique position to provide a much-needed bridge between commercial companies interested in medical countermeasure development and the government agencies that need them,” Battelle’s General Manager of Life Science Research Julie Swick said.