Biodel Awarded NIH Grant to Develop Concentrated Ultra-Rapid-Acting Insulin Formulations for Use in

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 Biodel Inc.announced today that the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Biodel a grant for the development of concentrated ultra-rapid-acting insulin formulations for use in an artificial pancreas, also known as a closed loop pump system.
 
"We are gratified to receive this award recognizing our innovations in the development of novel therapies to treat diabetes," said Dr. Errol De Souza, President and CEO of Biodel. "These funds will be focused on applying our proprietary technology for the development of ultra-rapid-acting insulin formulations for the treatment of insulin resistant patients and to assist in the development of effective artificial pancreas therapy."
 
The two-year grant, totaling $582,473, is intended to fund research to develop Biodel's proprietary ultra-rapid-acting insulin product candidate at high concentrations suited to provide sufficient quantities of insulin in an external artificial pancreas pump device that has a limited volume capacity. Currently, regular insulin at concentrations of 500 units per milliliter is used to treat extremely insulin resistant patients with diabetes. While these formulations are 5-times more concentrated than typical insulin presentations, they have a prolonged duration of action that may be undesirable for use with an artificial pancreas. Concentrated formulations of Biodel's ultra-rapid-acting insulin may be absorbed more rapidly than existing concentrated insulin formulations and may therefore become an important component of an effective step in the development of an artificial pancreas.
 
This research is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number R43DK096604. This press release and all other Biodel publications associated with this grant are solely the responsibility of Biodel and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
 
About Biodel Inc.
 
Biodel Inc. is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative treatments for diabetes that may be safer, more effective and more convenient for patients. We develop our product candidates by applying our proprietary formulation technologies to existing drugs in order to improve their therapeutic profiles.
 
About The SBIR
 
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs.
 
The mission of the SBIR program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. The program's goals are four-fold: stimulate technological innovation; meet federal research and development needs; foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by socially and economically disadvantaged persons; and increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal research and development funding.