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.

Astrivax NV has been awarded a €3 million grant by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to advance development of the company’s therapeutic vaccine targeting chronic hepatitis B.

Oryzon Genomics SA has been awarded a $498,690 grant by the ALS Association to support the regulatory preclinical development of ORY-4001, a highly selective histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor, for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Ray Therapeutics Inc. has been awarded a $4 million grant by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to help advance development of the company’s optogenetics technology platform and support progression of RTX-021 for the treatment of geographic atrophy, the advanced form of age-related macular degeneration.

Duo Oncology Inc. has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer grant by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support the development of DUO-307, a combination nanomedicine that delivers cytotoxic polymer conjugated gemcitabine (PGEM) and an immune modulating chemokine receptor type 2 antagonist (CCR2a) to tumor tissue.

Integral Molecular Inc. has been awarded funding totaling $896,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will support its discovery of antibodies against difficult and conserved protein targets.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, has awarded Vir Biotechnology Inc. approximately $50 million in new funding to advance the development of novel monoclonal antibody (MAb) candidates and delivery solutions to widen the applicability of MAbs in COVID-19 and in pandemic preparedness and response.

Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is awarding $1.75 million to the University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity to develop an oral therapeutic that restores the activity of common antibiotics used to treat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

Oryzon Genomics SA has announced two grants that will support the exploration of the role of epigenetic targets in the treatment of neuronal pathologies. Funded by the Spanish State Research Agency and the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the grants cover two public-private collaboration projects.