AFFINERGY, LLC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), comprised primarily

AFFINERGY, LLC — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Health and Human Services.

Amount
$280,768
Agency
Department of Health and Human Services · National Institutes of Health
Program / Phase
SBIR · Phase I
Solicitation
PA13-234
NAICS
Place of performance
NC
Period

Description

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), comprised primarily of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is characterized by a chronic, uncontrolled inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. As many as 1.4 Million peoplein the United States and 2.2 Million people in Europe currently suffer from IBD, with 30,000 new cases reported each year in the US. Unfortunately, there is no cure for IBD, which necessitates a lifetime of care. There are limited treatment options for CDand UC in the United States, and patients typically receive corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs to alleviate symptoms. However, given the toxicity and side effects of these drugs, there is an urgent need for new treatment options for patients withUC and CD. Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract in IBD is mediated by granulocytes and monocytes. An exciting new therapy for IBD is based on selectively removing these cells from peripheral blood using a strategy known as granulocyte/monocyte