Immuron Ltd (NASDAQ:IMRN, ASX:IMC) has received another ringing endorsement from the US Department of Defense (DOD) in the form of a US$2.3 million or A$3.5 million grant, to be used in a research agreement for the Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC), and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).
The research will seek to expand and enhance Travelan to cover endemic military-relevant diarrheal pathogens, leveraging the DOD’s expertise in human infectious disease vaccine programs.
The goal is to develop treatment options for the pathogens Campylobacter, Shigella and Entertoxigenic E. coli strains that are not present in the current product formulation.
Strong relationship with US DOD
Immuron has had a long partnership with the US DOD, even before Travelan was approved for over-the-counter sales as a commercial product.
In 2016, the WRAIR collaborated with IMC to develop a vaccine to fight Shigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery.
In 2023, the company’s relationship with the US government deepened after securing approval from the US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) Office of Human and Animal Research Oversight (OHRO) for a trial evaluating Travelan to prevent infectious diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC).
This latest collaboration is an extension of previous research programs, to define pathways to formulate, characterise, and perform pre-clinical testing of, a military-relevant combined colostrum product like Travelan.
Infectious diarrhea is the most common illness reported by travellers visiting developing countries and among US troops deployed overseas.
Traveller’s diarrhea is now recognized by the medical community to result in post-infectious complications, including post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and several post-infectious autoimmune diseases.
A preventative treatment that defends against infectious enteric diseases is a high-priority objective for the US Military, especially as antibiotic resistance rises among these pathogens.