BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

FDA awards over $14M in grants for rare diseases

October 21, 2013 11:39 PM UTC

FDA awarded more than $14 million under its Orphan Products Grants Program to 15 projects focused on developing drugs and devices for rare diseases from two companies and 13 universities. The awards include $167,000 for a one-year grant to Alkeus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Boston, Mass.) to conduct a Phase I trial of ALK001, which targets the formation of toxic deposits found in the eye, to treat Stargardt's disease; $1.6 million over four years to Emory University to conduct a Phase II trial of abatacept plus calcineurin inhibition and methotrexate to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GvHD); and $990,000 over three years to the PNA Center for Neurological Research to conduct a Phase II trial of memantine to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ...