# A Novel, Host-Directed Therapeutic for the Treatment of Sulfur Mustard Induced Lung Injury

> **NIH NIH R41** · CMTX BIOTECH, INC. · 2024 · $299,993

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
CMTx Biotech is a drug development company working to commercialize a pipeline of proprietary, non-
antibiotic, chemically-modified tetracycline (CMT) compositions and formulations for the host-modulatory
treatment of diseases with high unmet needs, including a proprietary, clinical-stage, orally-administered small-
molecule drug candidate, incyclinide (CMT-3 / COL-3), as a medical countermeasure for the treatment of
exposure to vesicants (blister agents) that may occur in chemical warfare, terrorism or industrial accidents.
Vesicating agents, including distilled mustard (HD), mustard gas (H), mustard/lewisite, mustard/T, nitrogen
mustard, sesqui mustard, and sulfur mustard, can cause moderate to debilitating injuries and pain to the eye,
skin, and mucous membranes. The primary modes of exposure are through contact, inhalation and ingestion.
Depending on the dose, route, and duration of exposure, toxic symptoms can range in varying degrees of
ocular and dermal burns, blister formation, bronchospasm, dyspnea, pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and
immune- and bone marrow suppression. Sulfur mustard is a human-made chemical warfare agent that causes
blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. Vesicating chemicals have been identified by the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as
highly toxic chemicals of concern to public health security due to the devastating health effects of exposure.
Unfortunately, no known antidote exists for sulfur mustard exposure. Treatment consists of removing sulfur
mustard from the body as soon as possible and providing supportive medical care in a hospital setting or by
trained emergency personnel. There remains a critical need for safe and effective medical countermeasures
for the treatment of acute and chronic lung injuries caused by the inhalation of SM. The market for treatments
specifically targeting sulfur mustard exposure is relatively limited to purchases by the U.S. Strategic National
Stockpile and international equivalents. However, companies that secure FDA approval for a medical
countermeasure (MCM) against certain chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) threats are eligible
to receive a Priority Review Voucher (PRV), which allows the recipient to expedite the review of a future New
Drug Application (NDA) or Biologics License Application (BLA) for a different product of their choice. PRVs
can be sold or transferred to other companies, with an average value of approximately $100M. Our lead drug
candidate is a pleiotropic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) modulator which inhibits pathologically-excessive
collagenolysis and resolves systemic inflammation. Safety of the compound has already been demonstrated in
Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. The drug has been evaluated in several clinical trials for the
treatment of diseases as disparate as AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, recurrent high-grade gl...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11008227
- **Project number:** 1R41AI187083-01
- **Recipient organization:** CMTX BIOTECH, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Livia Agnes Veress
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $299,993
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-09 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11008227

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11008227, A Novel, Host-Directed Therapeutic for the Treatment of Sulfur Mustard Induced Lung Injury (1R41AI187083-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11008227. Licensed CC0.

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