Octant Inc. has received a $4.9 million grant from the Gates Foundation to support a new therapeutics program focused on human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers. The initiative will develop affordable, broad-spectrum, small-molecule antiviral drugs designed to disrupt the interaction between hundreds of variants of the HPV E6 protein and the tumor suppressor protein p53.
A drive to overcome the limitations of traditional antibodies led Toronto-based scientists Jean-Philippe Julien and Bebhinn Treanor to work toward discovering a multivalent, multispecific platform to develop therapies that can reach difficult targets. As a result, through the support of VC firm Amplitude Ventures, Radiant Biotherapeutics emerged in 2020 armed with what has become its Multabody platform.
Immorna Biotherapeutics Inc. has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the clinical development of JCXH-108, a monovalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine based on Immorna’s proprietary mRNA and ready-to-use (RTU)-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies.
Snipr Biome ApS has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a microbiome-directed intervention designed to improve environmental enteric dysfunction by reducing gut entero-pathogen burden in pregnant women from low- and middle-income countries.
Nanite Inc. has been awarded a $1.8 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to design and optimize polymeric delivery vehicles to deliver DNA-encoded therapeutics.
Owlstone Medical Ltd. received $6.5 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which will go towards expanding its Breath Biopsy platform as well as developing breath-based diagnostic tests to identify breath biomarkers for tuberculosis and HIV.
Proteinlogic Ltd. and Stellenbosch University have received a $1.35 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a blood test to monitor treatment responses to tuberculosis (TB) antimicrobial chemotherapy.
Sail Biomedicines Inc. has received two grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the company's Endless RNA (eRNA) platform to develop secreted monoclonal antibodies and vaccines for malaria.
Ginkgo Bioworks Inc. has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a novel cell-based technology for improving protein therapeutics delivery for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
