Integrated BioTherapeutics (IBT) has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Emergent BioSolutions under which Emergent will gain exclusive rights to use IBT’s vaccine antigens and know-how in a joint research, development, and manufacturing collaboration focused on an equine-based hyperimmunoglobulin for the treatment of hemorrhagic fever caused by Filoviruses. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Filoviruses, including Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Marburg viruses, cause a highly fatal disease in humans. “Effective post-exposure therapeutics against filoviruses is critically important for control of future outbreaks of these deadly infections,” said Dr. M. Javad Aman, IBT’s president and chief scientific officer. “It is impossible to predict which filovirus strain will cause the next outbreak and therefore, our focus should be to develop therapeutics that can provide broad protection.”

The development of this hyperimmune product candidate is being directed under a collaboration between IBT, Emergent, Auburn University, Public Health Agency of Canada, and US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Emergent, supported by IBT and their collaborators, aim to develop this product for U.S. FDA approval for the treatment of filovirus hemorrhagic fever. Once approved, the product may be produced for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile for emergency use or in response to possible future outbreaks.