Brentwood,
TN -- A $135,590 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
grant will enable Virtual Drug Development Inc. to continue its
search for an antibiotic treatment of the chemical weapon anthrax,
U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced. "VDDI's work is of national
importance," Gordon said. "Anthrax, as a military or
terrorist weapon, is a grave concern to both military and civilian
populations." The Brentwood-based global pharmaceutical development
company relies heavily on the Internet as part of its business
model. VDDI is licensing the technology for the potential anthrax
treatment from the University of Alabama Research Foundation,
according to VDDI President Dr. Stephen Porter. NAD synthetase
(NADs), the enzyme responsible for the outgrowth and spread of
anthrax, was discovered by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's
Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering during a three-year,
$6 million research program funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency. "Providing effective treatment
for people exposed to anthrax must remain a national priority,"
Porter said. "Despite numerous studies, the effectiveness
of the current vaccine remains in serious doubt. "The practical
issues of providing the vaccine to those in need also constitutes
real problems, due to the rapid progress and fatal nature of this
disease, the vague early symptoms and the possibility of anthrax
becoming resistant to traditional antibiotics. "Vaccines
function by initiating the host antibodies that will quickly recognize
Bacillus anthracis or anthrax. Unfortunately, it's relative easy
for the enemy to genetically alter the anthrax that these antibodies
recognize, making the vaccine less effective or possibly ineffective,"
Porter said. VDDI will use the HHS Small Business Innovation Research
Grant to develop a NADs inhibitor. The inhibitor would hypothetically
block and shutdown the NADs enzyme that enables the anthrax bacteria
to develop and spread lethal toxins into cells. Porter said it
would be extremely difficult for the enemy to genetically alter
the enzyme target because doing so would likely adversely affect
the bacteria's normal biological function. "VDDI epitomizes
the types of companies that benefit from the federal Small Business
Innovation Research Grant," Gordon said. "As an Internet
company, VDDI believes it can reduce drug development times and
costs. This cutting-edge approach may lead to a quicker cure for
life-threatening diseases and infections." VDDI's primary
focus is on new drugs showing potential for treating cancer, cardiovascular
disease and infectious disease and that qualify for U.S. Food
and Drug Administration fast-track approval. "I supported
the 1996 FDA Reform in which Congress emphasized early access
to medical treatment," Gordon said. "The FDA has since
expedited access to cancer treatments specifically." By investing
in technology and resources instead of traditional bricks and
mortar infrastructure, VDDI estimates drug development time may
be reduced by up to 50 percent, and drug development costs reduced
by up to 25 percent. VDDI is affiliated with other firms in the
U.S. and in Germany, Australia and London.
US
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