PhaSER Biomedical receives £1.8m grant from Gates Foundation

PhaSER Biomedical, a Scotland-based startup focused on drug discovery, has received a $2.3m (£1.8m) grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The funding will support a three-year initiative by PhaSER Biomedical in partnership with the Gates Foundation-backed Global Health Discovery Collaboratory Programme. Established in 2022, PhaSER is developing advanced models that simulate how drugs are metabolised in humans. These models aim to enhance understanding of drug efficacy, predict reactions, and optimize clinical trial design. The programme will leverage these models to assist researchers addressing critical global health challenges, including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and pandemic preparedness.

PhaSER’s innovative “8HUM” model is built on 15 years of research conducted at the University of Dundee, CXR Biosciences, Taconic, and supported by Scottish Enterprise.

This model has been extensively characterised and validated for use in drug discovery.

Previously, the Gates Foundation awarded the University of Dundee a separate grant of nearly $1m to support work related to the 8HUM model. In addition, PhaSER has secured £970,000 in investments from other sources.

Professor Roland Wolf, founder of PhaSER Biomedical, expressed gratitude for the Gates Foundation’s support. “We are delighted to receive this support from the Gates Foundation, which will allow us to provide these valuable mice to drug discovery groups working on some of the most pressing global healthcare challenges we are faced with today,” he said.