The Committee's focus on radiation/nuclear countermeasures addresses an important force protection and readiness challenge by emphasizing medical countermeasures that offer both prophylactic as well as therapeutic efficacy. This requirement supports a comprehensive strategy for developing sustainable approaches to emerging threats, and, specifically, it positions the Department of War ("DoW") in an advanced state of readiness and response to radiation and nuclear exposures.
The development closely follows [comes on the heels of] Valion Bio's April 2026 briefing to the ASD (ND-CBD) and its May 2026 briefing to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) about its lead candidate, Entolimod.
Entolimod is a recombinant deletion variant of Salmonella FliC flagellin engineered to activate TLR5 selectively. Upon engagement, Entolimod triggers specific pathways that ultimately promote multi-tissue cytoprotection and inhibit apoptosis in radiosensitive hematopoietic and gastrointestinal tissues. The compound has demonstrated survival benefit as both a radioprotectant and a radiomitigant in controlled non-human primate studies under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") Animal Rule.