BioDiem could help fight biological weapons

BioDiem (ASX:BDM) and a US army institute will collaborate on research into using antimicrobial BDM-I as a countermeasure for biological weapons including anthrax.

BioDiem will research using its antimicrobial BDM-I as a countermeasure against biological weapons, in collaboration with the US army.

The company has expanded its cooperation agreement with the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) to evaluate using the antimicrobial against a range of biological weapon threats.

It will build on in vitro research from USAMRIID assessing BDM-I’s activity against disease-causing agents including bacillus anthracis (Anthrax) and yersinia pestis (plague).

BioDiem CEO Julie Phillips said the parties will now move on to animal-based studies, including drug concentration and efficacy evaluation studies in animal models.

“This is important work that is broad in scope but is focused on finding new ways to combat these highly infectious pathogens which pose a biological weapons risk,” she said.

The extended collaboration comes the same month BioDiem expanded its agreement with the US-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to cover researching the effectiveness of BDM-I in tuberculosis and serious fungal infections.

Also in February, BioDiem and the Queensland Institute for Medical Research (QIMR) advanced to proof-of-concept testing involving potentially using BDM-I to treat and prevent schistosomiasis.