Company (location)

Funding institution

Amount (US$M)

Type

Details

Date

JUNE

Adenovir Pharma AB (Helsingborg, Sweden)

Vinnova, the Swedish Government Agency for Innovation Systems

$0.61

Grant

The firm received SEK500,000 (US$60,608) for the pharmaceutical development of a second-generation drug for the treatment of the contagious eye disease epidemic keratoconjunctivitis

6/30/15

Inhibikase Therapeutics Inc. (Atlanta)

National Institutes of Health

$1.54

Phase II SBIR grant

To advance a method the company developed to re-engineer small-molecule protein kinase inhibitors to enhance their potency as much as 40-fold without altering how the drugs are broken down in the body

6/30/15

JULY

Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (Ardsley, N.Y.)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

$1.4

Grant

To develop a formulation and delivery system for a dry powder version of lung surfactant, which is used to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome; the new formulation will be based on Acorda's Arcus technology, and will be produced in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

7/23/15

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.)

ALS Association

$0.5

Grants

To advance the development of lead compounds focusing on the pathophysiology of TDP-43, found in approximately 90% of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

7/20/15

Caladrius Biosciences Inc. (formerly Neostem Inc.; New York)

National Eye Institute

$0.67

Grant

To investigate 3D retinal constructs for vision restoration in patients with age-related macular degeneration; of the total grant amount, $344,498 was awarded for the 2015 budget period

7/24/15

Califia Bio Inc. (San Diego)

National Institutes of Health

$1.7

Phase II SBIR grant

To develop a selective MLK3 inhibitor to treat cognitive deficits associated with multiple sclerosis

7/22/15

Cellecta Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.)

National Institutes of Health

ND

Phase I SBIR grant

To further its CRISPR-mediated genome-editing program; the goal of the grant is to develop a validated set of reagents that can be used for specific targeted disruption of all human and mouse genes

7/20/15

Cofactor Genomics LLC (St. Louis)

National Institute on Drug Abuse

$1.5

Phase II SBIR grant

For the company's technology to enrich circular RNAs from multiple sample types; research will be carried out where circRNAs have been implicated, including coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease, psychiatric disorders and cancer

7/23/15

Discovery Laboratories Inc. (Warrington, Pa.)

National Institutes of Health

$1

Phase II SBIR grant

Discovery received the second $1M tranche under its SBIR grant of $3M to support continued development of its aerosolized KL4 surfactant as a potential medical countermeasure to mitigate acute and chronic/late-stage radiation-induced lung injury

7/31/15

Geovax Labs Inc. (Smyrna, Ga.)

National Institutes of Health

$0.3

SBIR grant

For the first year of a two-year project that will be the first to use the company's vaccine technology for the developing world and builds on the Geovax clade B HIV vaccine, GOVX-B11, which is designed for the epidemic in the Americas and Western Europe

7/2/15

Lauren Sciences LLC (New York)

Voices Against Brain Cancer

ND

Grant

To support the development of a V-Smart nanomedicine for glioblastoma multiforme

7/6/15

Navidea Biopharma-ceuticals Inc. (Dublin, Ohio)

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

$0.32

Phase I SBIR grant

To support a study examining the ability of Tc 99m-tilmanocept to concentrate in atherosclerotic plaques at high risk of rupture, which would enable its potential development as a diagnostic imaging agent

7/29/15

Navidea Biopharma-ceuticals Inc. (Dublin, Ohio)

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

$1.7

SBIR grant

To fund preclinical animal studies and a phase I/II human study examining the ability of Tc 99m-tilmanocept to identify skeletal joints that are inflamed due to rheumatoid arthritis

7/30/15

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.)

ALS Association

$1.5

Grant

Investigator Robert G. Miller, of Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, was awarded a grant from the ALS Association for $1.5M to help fund a phase II study of the company's investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), NP001

7/2/15

Prolynx LLC (San Francisco)

National Science Foundation

ND

TECP supplemental grant

To support in vivo imaging studies of its hydrogels as potential drug carriers for treatment of inner ear disorders

7/1/15

TC Biopharm Ltd. (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Scottish Enterprise's Smart:Scotland program

£0.5

Grant award

To directly fund TCB's cancer therapy phase II/III study scheduled to start in September

7/14/15

Trophogen Inc. (Rockville, Md.)

National Cancer Institute

$0.76

SBIR grant

To develop VEGF analogues for targeted imaging of undifferentiated thyroid cancer; this is second year funding

7/9/15

AUGUST

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals LLc (Washington)

Singapore General Hospital

ND

Grant

To support a phase II trial among dengue fever patients; they will evaluate the antiviral celgosivir and disease-modifying agent modipafant

8/24/15

Advaxis Inc. (Princeton, N.J.)

Movember Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation

$2

2015 Movember Foundation-PCF Challenge Awards

Two research projects that are focused on ADXS-PSA, its Lm Technology immunotherapy candidate, have been awarded 2015 Movember Foundation-PCF Challenge Awards, sponsored by the Movember Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation: $1 million each have been awarded to two ADXS-PSA teams that are carrying out large-scale research projects on metastatic, treatment-resistant prostate cancer

8/6/15

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (New York)

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

ND

Research grant

For Anavex 2-73, which is being studied for Parkinson's disease

8/11/15

Biogazelle NV (Ghent, Belgium)

Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders

$1.2

Grant

To leverage its cancer therapy development program, focused on silencing long noncoding RNAs

8/13/15

Botanisol LLC (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine

ND

Grant

To fund three development stages of Tai-Lcx, which is in development for reducing inflammation via a mechanism that is different from traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

8/26/15

Delmar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Vancouver, British Columbia)

National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program

$0.22

Grant

NRC-IRAP is providing C$287,000 (US$219,494) to support preclinical research of VAL-083, a small-molecule chemotherapeutic

8/18/15

Nantkwest Inc. (Los Angeles) and University of Michigan and Thomas Jefferson University

Prostate Cancer Foundation

$1

Challenge award

To study the company's natural killer cell-based therapy in advanced prostate cancer

8/27/15

Ocata Therapeutics Inc. (Marlborough, Mass.)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

ND

SBIR phase I grant

To fund further preclinical development of Ocata's Hemangio-derived Mesenchymal Cell product to treat systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis

8/25/15

Oncodrone BV (Nijmegen, the Netherlands)

Eurostars

$2.9

Grant

To progress OCD155 to treat prostate cancer

8/26/15

Txcell SA (Valbonne, France)

French government's Unique Interministerial Fund

$1.48

Grant

For the TRUST project, Tregs in Uveitis Study, which is dedicated to process and clinical development of Col-Treg

8/25/15

SEPTEMBER

Advaxis Inc. (Princeton, N.J.) and Baylor College of Medicine

FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development

$1.1

Three-year grant

In support of an ongoing phase II trial of the company's lead Lm technology, immunotherapy, axalimogene filolisbac, in HPV-associated oropharynx cancer

9/15/15

Agenebio Inc. (Baltimore)

National Institutes of Health

$7.5

Five-year grant

To initiate a public-private partnership among the NIH's National Institute on Aging, Johns Hopkins University and Agenebio to study AGB101 and its potential to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia

9/16/15

Aphios Corp. (Woburn, Mass.)

National Institute on Drug Abuse

ND

Fast Track SBIR grant

For manufacturing cannabidiol from marijuana following current good manufacturing practices for multiple sclerosis and other central nervous system disorders

9/16/15

Audion Therapeutics BV (Amsterdam)

EU Horizon 2020 program

€2.5 (US$2.8)

Grant

To progress its lead program targeting sensorineural hearing loss to clinical proof of concept

9/9/15

Elsalys Biotech SAS (Lyon, France)

Fonds Unique Interministeriel-Single Interministerial Fund

$1.8

Grant

To the TYROMAB (TYROsine kinase receptor Monoclonal AntiBody) project, which seeks to validate and industrially produce an anti-TYRO3 antibody candidate to treat leiomyosarcoma and metastatic bladder cancer

9/14/15

Heptares Therapeutics (subsidiary of Sosei Group Corp.; Tokyo)

National Institute on Drug Abuse

$5.5

Grant

To support a three-year research project aimed at developing a selective antagonist for the human orexin-1 receptor for use in treating cocaine addiction and dependence

9/29/15

Ibio Inc. (Newark, Del.)

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

ND

STTR grant

To fund further development of its therapeutic product for treatment of fibrotic diseases

9/10/15

Immunocellular Therapeutics Ltd. (Los Angeles)

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

$19.9

Grant

To support the ICT-107 phase III registration trial in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma

9/25/15

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.)

U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

$24

Grant

To support the Inovio-led development of multiple treatment and prevention approaches against Ebola; it is part of a $45M Ebola program grant announced in April when the company received $21M

9/22/15

Mission Therapeutics Ltd. (Cambridge, UK)

Innovate UK

$2.9

Grant

For the discovery of preclinical inhibitors directed at specific deubiquitylating enzymes, or DUBs, which are involved in multiple cellular processes, including DNA damage and cell proliferation

9/23/15

Navidea Biopharma-ceuticals Inc. (Dublin, Ohio)

National Cancer Institute

$1.8

SBIR grant

To fund preclinical studies examining the safety of intravenous injection of Tc99m tilmanocept

9/4/15

Ocata Therapeutics Inc. (Marlborough, Mass.)

National Eye Institute

ND

SBIR grant

To fund preclinical development of a photoreceptor progenitor product for retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and photoreceptor dystrophies

9/2/15

Oncoceutics Inc. (Hummelstown, Pa.)

National Cancer Institute

ND

Fast Track SBIR grant

To clinically evaluate its lead molecule, ONC201, in glioblastoma multiforme

9/2/15

Pain Therapeutics Inc. (Austin, Texas)

National Institutes of Health

$1.7

Grant

To fund development of small-molecule drug PTI-125 in Alzheimer's disease

9/22/15

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.)

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

ND

Phase I SBIR grant

To support research aimed at optimizing lead molecules in the firm's second pipeline program, focused on orally stable peptide antagonists of the interleukin-23 receptor as potential treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases

9/24/15

Redhill Biopharma Ltd. (Tel-Aviv, Israel)

National Cancer Institute

$2

SBIR

To support its planned phase II study of the sphingosine kinase-2 selective inhibitor Yeliva as a possible treatment of refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma

9/10/15

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Boston)

FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development

$1

Research grant

To support the ongoing phase II trial of setmelanotide, a peptide MC4 agonist, for the treatment of obesity and hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome

9/25/15

Tapimmune Inc. (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Mayo Clinic

Department of Defense

$13.3

Grant

To cover the costs of a 280-patient phase II trial of a folate receptor alpha vaccine in patients with triple-negative breast cancer; Tapimmune has commercial rights to the vaccine

9/16/15

VBI Vaccines Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.)

Canada's National Research Council-Industrial Research Assistance Program

C$035 (US$0.26)

Grant

To apply its enveloped virus-like particle, or eVLP, platform to the development of a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine candidate

9/9/15

OCTOBER

4SC AG (Planegg-Martinsried, Germany)

Eurostars

$0.5

Grant

To fund research on its epigenetic anticancer products

10/1/15

Altor Bioscience Corp. (Miramar, Fla.)

National Cancer Institute

ND

SBIR direct-to-phase II grant

To support an ongoing phase I/II trial of ALT-803, an interleukin-15 super agonist protein complex, in combination with Rituxan (rituximab, Biogen Inc./Roche) in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

10/7/15

Apogee Biotechnology Corp. (Hummelstown, Pa.)

National Cancer Institute

$0.23

SBIR grant

To support a preclinical study with Yeliva (ABC294640) to treat prostate cancer

10/23/15

Celdara Medical LLC (Lebanon, N.H.) and Pulmatrix Inc. (Lexington, Mass.)

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

$1.7

SBIR grant

To fund the companies' development of an inhaled biologic to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

10/2/15

Cellectar Biosciences Inc. (Madison, Wis.)

National Cancer Institute

$2.3

Phase I-II fast track SBIR grant

To fund development of the company's phospholipid drug conjugate platform for targeted delivery of I-125, a radiotherapeutic isotope that may be suited to treat micro-metastatic disease

10/2/15

Emulate Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.)

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

ND

Research grant

To apply the company's Organs-on-Chips to investigate the potential safety liabilities observed in a class of drug candidates called LRRK2 kinase inhibitors for treatment of Parkinson's disease

10/23/15

Kiyatec Inc. (Greenville, S.C.)

National Cancer Institute

$1.73

Phase I and Phase II SBIR contract

To develop culture systems that can grow and maintain the rare population of cancer stem cells, which are believed to lead to therapy resistance, relapse and death from metastatic disease; the focus is small-cell lung cancer

10/26/15

Lung Therapeutics Inc. (Austin, Texas)

National Institutes of Health

$1.69

Grant

Three-year grant to develop drug candidate LTI-01 for pleural effusion with loculation; LTI-01 is in development to reduce fibrinous scars in the pleural cavity immediately outside the lungs to allow for fluid drainage without surgery for patients with loculated pleural effusion that fails to drain

10/28/15

Optikira (Cleveland)

National Eye Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

ND

STTR grant

To support Optikira's development of small molecule therapeutics that prevent cell death in pathologies caused by misfolded or unfolded proteins

10/1/15

Synthetic Biologics Inc. (Rockville, Md.) and University of Texas at Austin

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

$0.4

Grant

To fund research of Synthetic's hu1B7, a monoclonal antibody, in pertussis in nonhuman primates

10/22/15

Notes

The date indicated refers to the BioWorld Today issue in which the news item can be found.

For more information about individual companies and/or products, see Thomson Reuters Cortellis.