Celdara Medical Receives Funding to Develop Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobials for Chronic Lung Infection
Lebanon, NH: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Celdara Medical, LLC a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for development of broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides to combat chronic lung infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Antimicrobial resistance is a global healthcare threat predicted to lead to 10 million deaths globally by 2050. Dr. Jake Reder, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Celdara Medical, remarked, “We’re thankful to NHLBI for funding innovations like this that address a pandemic that is less often in the newspapers, yet increasingly in our hospitals and broader society: antimicrobial resistance. The medical needs in this space are crystal clear, and we’re keen to further explore the promise of Prof. Di’s inventions.”
About 40,000 children and adults are living with CF in the United States. Though recent advances in CF therapies have increased life expectancy, patients continue to have deadly complications from chronic lung infection. “As antimicrobial resistance continues to increase, the need for broad-spectrum antimicrobials with low propensity for resistance generation is a rapidly expanding unmet need that has become even more urgent with the onset of COVID-19”, said Dr. Julie Coleman, Program Lead at Celdara Medical. “In collaboration with Dr. Peter Di at the University of Pittsburgh, this grant will advance the development of a potent therapeutic with broad spectrum antibacterial activity for cystic fibrosis patients suffering from chronic lung infection.” Celdara Medical is investigating the efficacy and safety of this novel therapeutic under the scope of this SBIR award with the goal of improving healthcare options for CF patients, as well as patients with other severe or chronic lung infections.
Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43HL162238. The content is solely the responsibility of Celdara Medical and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
About Celdara Medical, LLC
Celdara Medical was founded by Drs. Jake Reder and Michael Fanger in 2008 and is headquartered at the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center (DRTC) in Lebanon, NH. Celdara Medical builds academic and early-stage innovations into high-potential medical companies, identifying discoveries of exceptional value at the earliest stages and moving them toward the market. Celdara Medical partners with inventors and their institutions, providing the developmental, financial, and business acumen required to bridge discovery and profitability. With robust funding options, a diverse and high impact Programmatic pipeline, and partnerships with world-class academic institutions and industry leaders, Celdara Medical navigates all aspects of a complex industry, accelerating science to improve human health.