NEW YORK – T2 Biosystems announced on Monday that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, has exercised a contract option, which will provide the firm an additional $6.4 million of funding.
BARDA, which is part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services, specifically exercised contract Option 2A of a multiple year cost share contract with a total potential value of $69 million if all contract options are exercised.
The initial contract was awarded in 2019 and BARDA exercised the first option, valued at $10.4 million, in September 2020.
The funding will be used to further development of the T2Resistance Panel, which is a direct-from-blood test designed to detect antibiotic resistance genes associated with sepsis-causing pathogens. The funding will also support development of the firm's T2Biothreat Panel to detect pathogens such as B. anthracis, F. tularensis, Y. pestis, Burkholderia spp., and R. prowazekii directly from blood.
In addition, the funding supports development of a comprehensive direct-from-blood sepsis panel designed to cover up to 99 percent of all bloodstream infections by providing more than 36 reported results, as well as a fully automated, random access, high-throughput next-generation instrument.
"We believe the continued funding commitment from BARDA is a testament to our technology and its potential to transform the diagnosis and management of patients at risk of sepsis, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and protect our nation from biothreat pathogens," said John Sperzel, chairman and CEO of T2 Biosystems, in a statement.
The firm plans to initiate US clinical trials for T2Resistance and T2Biothreat Panels using the new funding, Sperzel added.