Federal Government Awards $62 Million to Drugmakers for Ebola Virus Treatments

The U.S. government is awarding $62 million to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Inovio Pharmaceuticals to support their ongoing development of novel Ebola virus treatments.

HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will give Regeneron $38 million over the next 23 months to support clinical development of its experimental monoclonal antibody. Phase 1 studies are set to begin in January.

The contract, announced last week, could provide an additional $11.3 million to the Tarrytown, N.Y., firm to manufacture other monoclonal antibodies to fight Ebola.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced last week that it has exercised its option to provide Inovio with an additional $24 million to support the Plymouth Meeting, Pa., company’s multiple treatment and prevention approaches against Ebola.

Inovio is working on a DNA-based vaccine, a therapeutic DNA-based monoclonal antibody product and a conventional monoclonal antibody to treat Ebola. The money follows an initial $21 million award the company received in April, and was contingent on Inovio completing pre-clinical and clinical development milestones.

Regeneron and Inovio are among many companies developing Ebola treatments. The FDA last week granted fast track designation to a drug from Mapp Biopharmaceutical to treat the virus. — Kellen Owings