SRI International awarded $40m to develop contraceptive products

SRI International has been awarded a Biological Testing Facility (BTF) contract of up to $40 million from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to conduct preclinical development of potential new contraceptive and therapeutic products.

Under the contract, SRI Biosciences, a division of SRI International, will conduct all research and testing necessary to submit Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for promising drugs and devices.

NICHD conducts and supports laboratory research, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies that explore health processes; examines the impact of disabilities, diseases, and variations on the lives of individuals; and sponsors training programs to ensure that NICHD research can continue. The NICHD’s BTF funds research to move contraceptive targets into development and, as appropriate, approval.

SRI International will support the development of contraceptive products over the next five years

“We are pleased to continue supporting this important research on behalf of NICHD, which requires both state-of-the-art facilities and a broad range of preclinical research capabilities,” said Toufan Parman, Ph.D., D.A.B.T, director, General Toxicology, SRI Biosciences, and principal investigator for the NICHD contract.

Over the next five years, SRI will be responsible for providing all support services necessary to advance high quality, safe, effective male and female contraceptive products to human clinical trials.