---
title: "MerLion and Dstl win DTRA Grant"
description: "CBRNe World provides those tasked with defending against CBRN and IED threats with the essential practical, scientific and political information. Access the current and previous issues of the magazine by registering as a member."
url: "https://cbrneworld.com/news/subscribers/merlion-and-dstl-win-dtra-grant"
date: "2026-07-30T21:07:19+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  MerLion and Dstl win DTRA Grant

 Written by CBRNe World Staff on 27 July 2017.

The multiyear project will investigate finafloxacin as a potential treatment for Burkholderia pseudomallei, other biothreat agents including Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis, and additional multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. MerLion and Dstl will initially aim to win FDA agreement on the next steps for developing the antibiotic candidate.
“We already have compelling preclinical results generated in the collaboration with our partners from Dstl for finafloxacin’s activity against various biothreat pathogens, as well as data from our positive clinical studies treating patients with cUTI infections,” said David Dally, CEO of MerLion. “The new project will enable us to investigate the activity of finafloxacin against a variety of very difficult-to-treat pathogens in more detail and will help to position finafloxacin as an effective therapy against multiple bioterrorism threats, as well as a treatment for other life-threatening infections.”

 [Threat](https://cbrneworld.com/component/tags/tag/threat)

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