Xoma and Nabi Garner NIH Support

NIH's National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases has awarded the antibody company Xoma a $65 million contract to develop botulism poisoning treatment drugs for the government's Strategic National Stockpile. The contract is the third awarded to Xoma by NIAID, bringing total funding to $100 million. Xoma intends to initiate human safety and animal efficacy studies of its first candidate in 2009. Meanwhile, NIAID and Nabi Biopharmaceuticals will conduct preclinical toxicology evaluations of two of Nabi's PentaStaph antigen vaccine candidates for the prevention and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections in community and hospital settings.