Soligenix has been awarded a contract valued at up to $24.7 million inclusive of options by the US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) (specifically funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or NIAID).  The objectives of the contract are to advance the development of Soligenix’s thermostabilization technology, ThermoVax, combined with the company’s ricin toxin vaccine, Rivax, as a medical countermeasure (MCM) to prevent the effects of ricin exposure.

The contract contains a 16 month base period providing financial support of approximately $5.8 million, followed by several contract options that would extend the contract award for up to six years. If all contract options are exercised, the total award will support the preclinical, manufacturing and clinical development activities necessary to advance heat stable RiVax with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Securing this highly competitive NIAID contract provides further recognition as to the innovative quality and potential impact of both our vaccine and thermostabilization technologies,” stated Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix.

“With this new contract award, the Company now has up to $57 million in NIAID and BARDA funding to advance the biodefense business segment.  We thank NIAID for their past and present support and look forward to collaborating closely with them as we advance RiVax development towards potential FDA licensure and procurement for the national stockpile.” This is Soligenix’s third awarded federal contract.  Soligenix’s gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome (GI ARS) program is supported by contract awards from both the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) and NIAID, totaling up to approximately $32 million to support the development of OrbeShield as a MCM for GI ARS.