The award will help fund a Phase 2 clinical trial of Resunab, a novel synthetic oral drug. Resunab has the potential to address inflammation in people with CF, regardless of an individual's CF gene mutations.

In people who have cystic fibrosis, lung inflammation is a chronic and life-threatening result of the disease, causing scarring and progressive lung damage.

Resunab is a potential treatment to reduce lung inflammation by stimulating the body's anti-inflammatory processes. Preclinical and Phase 1 clinical studies showed early promising results in reducing inflammation and scarring.

Corbus plans to begin the Phase 2 clinical trial for Resunab in the second quarter of 2015, pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration review of the proposed study.

“We're eager to help develop new therapies that manage the devastating effects of lung inflammation in people with CF,” said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Our support reflects the Foundation's commitment to pursuing multiple research avenues to attack the disease from every angle.”

Corbus Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company based in Norwood, Mass.

Read Corbus' press release.