Honolulu-based Cardax Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it will receive a grant of up to $1.25 million from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that will be used to advance pre-clinical development and supply of its liver disease drug.

The grant will also fund other pre-clinical proof-of-concept studies to increase understanding of its lead compound, CDX-085, in inflammatory liver disease.

The funding will be broken into several phases.