Acurastem Inc. has been awarded $7.5 million in grant funding by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support the advancement of lead clinical candidate AS-241 toward first-in-human testing.

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is awarding US$2.6 million to Adjane Holding BV to advance the development of a vaccine candidate to prevent infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Newco Sononeu Inc. has launched to translate more than a decade of basic research in controlling cells with ultrasound into novel, non-invasive therapies for conditions including peripheral and diabetic neuropathy. The underlying technology of sonogenetics provides the ability to manipulate cellular activity via ultrasound-sensitive ion channels that respond to acoustic pressure. These channels may be endogenous, or could be delivered by targeted vectors to specific cell types.