BARDA and Tiba Biotech collaborate on flu treatments

Tiba Biotech, a preclinical biopharmaceutical firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has announced a strategic partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. This collaboration aims to develop innovative therapeutics targeting influenza, particularly through RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) technologies.

The collaboration, facilitated by an EZ-BAA (easy broad agency announcement) contract, is set to significantly advance Tiba Biotech's therapeutic platform focused on combating viral threats. The contract, valued at $749,999, was awarded through a competitive review process and will support the early-stage development of Tiba’s RNAi-based therapeutics. This initiative is part of BARDA’s flexible and strategic therapeutics programme, which is dedicated to advancing technologies that can be rapidly deployed against emerging viral threats.

Tiba Biotech's initial project under this partnership will concentrate on developing a prototype RNAi-based therapeutic targeting the highly conserved viral nucleoprotein of H1N1 influenza. This therapeutic will be delivered using Tiba’s proprietary RNABL platform. Dr. Jasdave Chahal, co-founder and lead investigator of the project, expressed excitement about the potential impact of their technology. He emphasized that the award would further Tiba's innovative approach to addressing influenza and other viral threats, potentially transforming the landscape of RNA therapeutics.

This partnership is a continuation of Tiba’s ongoing efforts to address influenza pandemic threats. Tiba is also working on a novel multi-antigen mRNA-based H7N9 flu vaccine, funded under a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Institutes of Health. This project is being developed in collaboration with the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers.

Additionally, Tiba Biotech has recently been accepted into BLUE KNIGHT, a joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS and BARDA. BLUE KNIGHT seeks to stimulate innovation in addressing future health threats, providing Tiba with further support and resources in their mission to combat influenza and other viral threats.

The entire project with BARDA is fully supported by federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. This federal backing underscores the significance and potential impact of Tiba Biotech’s work in developing effective therapeutics against influenza.