Watertown, MA-based Enanta Pharmaceuticals reports that it has won a 5-year development contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which will provide up to $42.7 million to develop a "new class of bridged bicyclic antibiotics" known as Bicyclolides for the country's biodefense program. "Bicyclolide antibiotics discovered by Enanta offer a new broad spectrum approach to treating lethal infections, including those caused by biothreat pathogens," says CEO Jay Luly. "This contract will enable us to advance additional bicyclolide candidates into clinical development." Release