Week 3, October 2024: BARDA Funding

This past week, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has provided funding for several antibody-related drug development programs. BARDA is a U.S. government agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that funds and supports the development of medical countermeasures to protect against public health threats, such as pandemics, bioterrorism, and other emergencies. 

GigaGen was awarded $135M from BARDA to develop recombinant polyclonal antibody therapies against botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) and a second biothreat of interest to the agency that will be determined at a later time. This project will support the manufacturing and initial clinical development of a drug product that targets all seven BoNT variants. BoNT, one of the most toxic biological substances, is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and can cause progressive muscle paralysis from the head to the rest of the body, which can be fatal if left untreated. 

In addition, ModeX Therapeutics, a subsidiary of OPKO Health, also secured substantial funding from BARDA for its COVID-19 and influenza programs. ModeX was awarded a $35M supplement to further develop its multispecific antibody therapies aimed at COVID-19, bringing total awards from BARDA to $110M for development of broad SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza multispecifics, with potential funding of up to $205 million if all options are executed. These multispecific antibodies are designed to target multiple viral proteins simultaneously, providing broader protection against evolving strains of the virus. 

Furthermore, BARDA also awarded ModeX an additional $16 million to initiate a program focused on influenza with gene and/or protein delivery modalities. These antibodies have the potential to confer protection in immune-suppressed, cancer and other patients with suboptimal responses to vaccination.