Agile Sciences Receives a $1.5M Phase II SBIR Grant

RALEIGH, N.C. - Feb. 3, 2015 - PRLog -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Agile Sciences a $1.5 million Phase II SBIR Grant to support development of Agile Sciences’ proprietary Agilyte^® molecules for treating bacterial infections associated with chronic wounds. Approximately 6.5 million patients are afflicted with chronic wounds in the U.S. each year, and the burden is growing rapidly due to the increasing aging population and the rise in the incidence of diabetes. Chronic wounds result in severe psychological, social, and economic burdens, and the estimated financial cost associated with treating chronic wounds in the U.S is estimated to be $10-$25 billion per year.

The Phase II award was granted following the successful completion of a NIH Phase I STTR project that evaluated the activity of the Agilyte^® molecules in vitro.   The two-year Phase II project will include collaborations with Dr. Robert Galiano of Northwestern University and Professor Stephen Davis of the University of Miami.

“We are very excited to continue our program to develop a better treatment for chronic wounds, given the promising results that were generated with the Phase I award. The involvement of leaders in the wound care field, such as Dr. Galiano and Prof. Davis, in this project will provide the expertise necessary for the continued development of the technology,” noted Agile Sciences’ co-founder, Dr. John Cavanagh.

Prof. Davis, Director of the Pre-Clinical Wound Healing & Infection Research Laboratories at the University of Miami, commented, “I am looking forward to evaluating Agile Sciences’ technology as a wound care therapy. The lack of treatment options to address both gram negative and positive infections associated with chronic wounds represents a significant unmet medical need. Agile Sciences’ approach to treating these infections has the potential to provide a more effective product that will result in improved patient outcomes.”

The project was initiated upon receipt of the award on December 22, 2014 and will continue through November 30, 2016.