# Rutgers University CounterACT Center of Excellence

> **NIH NIH U54** · RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $168,500

## Abstract

Abstract
 This is a renewal application for the Rutgers University CounterACT Research Center of Excellence,
leaders in the discovery and development of drugs to treat poisoning from exposure to chemical threat agents.
The Center focuses on vesicants including sulfur mustard, nitrogen mustard, and other mechanistically related
chemicals and is organized into three Research and Development Projects, each focused on a major vesicant
target: the skin, the cornea and the lung. The overall goal of the Center is to identify specific targets in these
tissues that can be used for therapeutic intervention. To accomplish this goal, mechanistic research using
appropriate translational models for the skin, cornea and lung is being performed by scientific experts in each
of these areas. The Research and Development Projects are supported by a Pharmacology and Drug
Development Scientific Support Core and a Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry Scientific Support Core,
each consisting of investigators with considerable expertise in drug discovery, delivery and development.
Through mechanistic research, the Rutgers Center has 1) discovered and prioritized several efficacious lead
compounds and 2) developed innovative formulations and delivery systems that augment pharmacological
activity and improve pharmacokinetic profiles. Three lead compounds, two for mustard-induced ocular injury
and another for mustard-induced lung injury, are FDA approved for other indications, and are being advanced
for use as mustard countermeasures. Furthermore, IND-enabling studies have been completed on a lead
compound discovered to be effective against mustard-induced skin injury. The Rutgers CounterACT Center
has established strategic corporate partnerships for advanced drug development with lead compounds and
support by BARDA. A Research Education Core directed at students, postdoctoral trainees, technical staff, and
new and established investigators has been highly successful at training a skilled workforce in
countermeasures. During the next grant period, we will 1) identify and develop second generation drug
products with improved effectiveness, 2) disseminate key findings about mechanisms of toxicity and novel
testing strategies and models, 3) advance current drug leads through the FDA approval process and 4) expand
training and workforce development opportunities. By meeting key research, development, and training
milestones, the Center is well-poised to advance new and repurposed drugs through the approval process for
treating vesicant poisoning in humans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11114986
- **Project number:** 3U54AR055073-19S1
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** JEFFREY D LASKIN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $168,500
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2006-09-15 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11114986

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11114986, Rutgers University CounterACT Center of Excellence (3U54AR055073-19S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11114986. Licensed CC0.

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