SIGA Technologies, Inc., a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight bio-warfare pathogens, announced that it has been awarded a $7.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an antiviral drug for treating and preventing Lassa fever and other haemorrhagic fevers of Arenavirus origin.

Dr Eric A Rose, SIGA's chairman and CEO, commented, “This grant is a continuation of our vibrant, long-term relationship with NIH, and it highlights the strength and diversity of our drug development programme.”

Dr Dennis Hruby, SIGA's chief scientific officer, added, “This grant is similar to the $ 6.5 million grant for dengue fever drug development awarded to SIGA in May in that both grants are expected to fund development activities that will lead to an Investigational New Drug application ("IND") that SIGA can file with the FDA.”

SIGA Technologies, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and commercialization of therapeutic solutions for some of the most lethal disease-causing pathogens in the world, including smallpox, Ebola, dengue, Lassa fever and other dangerous viruses.