# Advancing novel cyanide countermeasures

> **NIH NIH U54** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $3,197,049

## Abstract

The overarching objective of our proposed center is:
· The delivery of cyanide countermeasure(s) that meet the BARDA definition of readiness for
advanced development. In prior work within our consortium, we have discovered new compound classes that
can counteract the effect of cyanide. Foremost among these are the multivalent cyanide scavenger
hexachloroplatinate and the metabolic modulator glyoxylate, but several additional next-generation compounds
are in the pipeline. These discoveries pave the way for development of cyanide countermeasures that are
fundamentally different from existing countermeasures and have the potential to transform our ability to respond
to cyanide exposures. This new U54 will focus on translating these discoveries into optimized, validated leads
meeting the formal requirements for advanced development and clinical deployment.
 In addition to the delivery of these clinically relevant products, we will also contribute:
 · Fundamental insights into the full range of mechanisms of cyanide-induced lethality in vivo
 · Systematic exploration of the pharmacological manipulation of metabolism
 · Formal characterization of the core relationships between the different models in our platform and of the
most efficient ways to move between these models in drug discovery and development, with the goal of
developing a generalizable approach to metabolic poisons.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241493
- **Project number:** 5U54NS112107-03
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Calum A. MacRae
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $3,197,049
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241493

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241493, Advancing novel cyanide countermeasures (5U54NS112107-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241493. Licensed CC0.

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