HOPO Therapeutics gets $226 million award from BARDA

Privately-held US pharma firm HOPO Therapeutics has been awarded a contract valued at up to $226 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services.

HOPO says it will use to funds to advance development of the drug candidate HOPO-101 through registrational studies as a medical countermeasure against radiological threats, including planned submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The initial award of approximately $9.4 million will fund toxicology and pharmacology studies, manufacturing activities, and nonclinical research in other types of heavy metal poisoning, with approximately $216 million in additional funding available for later-stage development upon agreement between BARDA and HOPO. The ongoing Phase I clinical study of HOPO-101 (NCT05628961), as well as earlier nonclinical work, has been funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.