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Antimicrobial Drug Targeted to Essential Bacterial Genes in Wound Infection Pathogens

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W81XWH-12-C-0003
Agency Tracking Number: A112-104-0894
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A11-104
Solicitation Number: 2011.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2011
Award Year: 2012
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-11-04
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 100
Ithaca, NY -
United States
DUNS: 022552900
HUBZone Owned: Yes
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Mehran Pazirandeh
 Staff Scientist
 (607) 272-0002
 mehranp@agavebio.com
Business Contact
 Noe Salazar
Title: President
Phone: (512) 656-6200
Email: nsalazar@agavebio.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Wounds infected with drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria can increase morbidity, hospital length of stay and cost. Among these Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have become important causes of concern in military personnel wounded in battlefield. New classes of antimicrobial agents are needed to combat this threat. Emerging work has focused on a new type of strategy through gene silencing by antisense mechanisms to block intracellular synthesis of housekeeping proteins via inhibition of mRNA. Among the various antisense molecules Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) have several advantages and are ideally suited for development as antibacterial agents. PNAs are resistant to nucleases, proteases, and degradative enzymes, have a high binding affinity and a long half-life compared inside the cells compared to antibiotics. Therefore, in this Phase I Agave BioSystems proposes to develop antisense PNA molecules to block synthesis of housekeeping proteins in K. pneumoniae

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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