Keltic Pharma Therapeutics, a University of Glasgow spin-out, has been awarded $1.3m (£1.15m) in new funding from the Gates Foundation to accelerate its ground-breaking malaria drug discovery programme.
Keltic Pharma’s malaria programme is advancing towards IND enablement within the next 12 months and is designed to deliver a single-dose cure — a potential game-changer in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Malaria still causes more than 600,000 deaths globally each year, with children under five the most vulnerable and resistance to current treatments continuing to rise.
"We are honoured to receive this support from the Gates Foundation," said Andrew Tobin, CEO of Keltic Pharma Therapeutics. “This funding will allow us to accelerate a programme that we believe could transform malaria treatment globally.
"A safe, single-dose cure would represent a step change for patients, health systems and communities most affected by the disease."
"Our science is at a pivotal stage,” added Andrew Jamieson, Chief Scientific Officer at Keltic Pharma. “With IND-enabling studies now in sight, we are closer than ever to bringing forward a medicine with the potential to save countless lives."
The award highlights both the urgency of new malaria treatments and Keltic Pharma’s commitment to tackling global health challenges from its base in Scotland.
Uzma Khan, Vice Principal for Innovation and Economic Development at the University of Glasgow, said: “The University is delighted to see Keltic Pharma securing support from one of the world’s most respected global health funders."
"The company’s ground-breaking technology has the potential to make a life-changing impact for thousands of people worldwide and the University is proud to have played its part in helping this research achieve translational impact."
In a separate announcement, Keltic Pharma Therapeutics has partnered with Scotland-based BioAscent to give customers access to a cutting-edge peptide discovery platform for GPCR targets.
The company said the collaboration with the leading integrated drug discovery services provider was an important milestone in making its platform broadly available to the biotech and pharma community.
Professor Tobin said: “By working with BioAscent’s experienced team and established customer base, we can help unlock new drug discovery opportunities and bring forward more effective treatments, faster.”