CytoSorbents (OTC:CTSO) announced today that the U.S. Army has awarded it a $1.1 million contract to develop its HemoDefend-BGA adsorber.
HemoDefend-BGA can rapidly remove more than 99% of anti-A and anti-B antibodies from plasma to create a “universal plasma” that could be administered to anyone, irrespective of blood type, while maintaining critical coagulation activity, according to a news release.
The agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) is a two-year SBIR sequential Phase II contract valued at just shy of $1.1 million.
Currently, the HemoDefend-BGA adsorber is not approved in the U.S. or elsewhere. Recently, CytoSorbents completed Phase I and Phase II STTR contracts worth approximately $1.15 million with researchers at Penn State University, having already received approximately $7.3 million across multiple contracts from government agencies.
“We are grateful for the U.S. Army’s ongoing support and funding of our blood group antibody (BGA) adsorber technology,” CytoSorbents director of biology and principal investigator Maryann Gruda said in the release. “Widespread availability of universal plasma is expected to help save lives through faster emergency treatment that does not require blood typing, while providing substantial cost savings with simpler storage and distribution logistics. This award is focused on optimizing materials and manufacturing methods to rapidly achieve a commercially desirable product.”
“We thank the U.S. Army and Department of Defense for their continued support of our HemoDefend-BGA program,” added CytoSorbents CEO Dr. Phillip Chan. “These funds are expected to help us accelerate development of this product to make universal plasma a reality.”