The agreement advances human-relevant New Approach Methodologies to accelerate medical countermeasure development against CBRN threats
Genoa, Italy, September 1, 2026 –
React4life, an Italian tech-bio company developing advanced Organ-on-Chip and microphysiological technologies, has entered into a prototype agreement under the U.S. Department of War’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA) framework, as part of an initiative aimed at advancing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for the development of medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Advancing Human-Relevant Approaches to Medical Countermeasure Development
The program seeks to advance technologies that can reduce reliance on traditional animal models, de-risk medical countermeasure development and shorten development timelines, ultimately enabling faster availability of protective measures for warfighters.
Organ-on-Chip and microphysiological systems are explicitly identified among the technologies of interest. The U.S. program recognizes the potential of NAMs to augment or replace selected animal-based nonclinical studies while providing more predictive information on human safety and efficacy.
Supporting the Maturity and Regulatory Potential of Organ-on-Chip Technology
Importantly, the initiative is focused on technologies that have already progressed beyond early-stage research. Beyond the experimental work itself, the project may also provide a pathway to further establish the technology for regulatory use, including the possibility of pursuing qualification through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s ISTAND program, with the longer-term objective of supporting the use of NAM-generated data in regulatory drug development.
For React4life, the project represents an important opportunity to further demonstrate the maturity of its technology and its potential to evolve from an advanced research platform into a tool capable of generating actionable data for real-world drug-development decisions.
CEO Perspective: An Important Milestone for React4life
“This agreement represents an important milestone for React4life,” said Maurizio Aiello, CEO of React4life. “It gives us the opportunity to contribute technology developed in Italy to a U.S. program focused on advanced human-relevant approaches to medical countermeasure development and, at the same time, to demonstrate how Organ-on-Chip platforms can move beyond exploratory research toward concrete applications in drug development. Ultimately, the goal is to accelerate the availability of safe and effective medical countermeasures to protect warfighters against emerging threats.”
A Platform-Oriented Approach to Medical Countermeasures
The initiative also has a strong platform-oriented approach. Rather than prioritizing models designed for a single specific threat or drug, the program expresses a preference for NAM technologies with the potential for broad, threat-agnostic medical countermeasure development. Its areas of interest include immunogenicity and toxicology, respiratory exposure and lung efficacy, pharmacokinetic prediction and general testbed capabilities for evaluating medical countermeasures.
From Prototype Demonstration Toward Broader Adoption
Beyond the prototype phase, successful results could create opportunities for further evaluation of the technology and potentially support its broader adoption in future applications.
For React4life, the initiative therefore combines scientific, industrial and strategic significance: further evidence of the maturity reached by its technology, strong alignment with the program’s preference for broadly applicable platform-based approaches, expansion into highly demanding medical-countermeasure applications, and the potential to progress from prototype demonstration toward broader adoption.
About React4life
React4life S.p.A. is an Italian tech-bio company developing Organ-on-Chip and microphysiological technologies designed to provide more human-relevant approaches to drug development, including efficacy, safety and translational research.
Founded by Silvia Scaglione and Maurizio Aiello, React4life was established with a strong commitment to technology transfer and the ambition to translate scientific research into tangible benefits for industry, healthcare and society.
Government Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
This project has been funded in part by the Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense’s (CPE CBRND) Joint Project Lead for CBRN Enabling Technologies (JPL CBRN ET) under Agreement W911SR-26-9-A035. References to non-Federal entities or products do not constitute or imply a Department of War, U.S. Army, or CPE CBRND endorsement.
Media Contact:
Mrs Natalia Ozimo
E-mail: press@react4life.com