Awarded SMART Grant by Innovate UK to Develop Groundbreaking Drug Discovery Platform, PEPSMOL©.

October 1, 2024

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Keltic Pharma Therapeutics, a University of Glasgow Spin-Out, Awarded SMART Grant by Innovate UK to Develop Groundbreaking Drug Discovery Platform, PEPSMOL©.

Glasgow, UK — Keltic Pharma Therapeutics, a spin-out from the laboratories of Professor Andrew Tobin, Professor Andrew Jameson, and Professor Graeme Milligan at the University of Glasgow, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a prestigious SMART Grant by Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency. This grant will support the development of its innovative drug discovery platform, PEPSMOL©, which aims to revolutionise the targeting of previously hard-to-drug G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with a focus on the FFA4 receptor—a novel target for inflammatory airway diseases such as severe asthma.

The SMART Grant from Innovate UK is a significant endorsement of Keltic Pharma’s ground-breaking approach to drug discovery. With this funding, Keltic Pharma will leverage its proprietary PEPSMOL© platform to address the limitations of conventional small molecule screening approaches for GPCRs, especially those with poorly defined binding sites, by developing a new class of molecules known as “synthetic biologics.”  The PEPSMOL© platform, is a multi-stage process designed to blend the advantageous properties of small molecules and biologics, such as antibodies. This innovative approach enables the effective targeting of complex GPCRs and opens new possibilities for creating more effective treatments for unmet clinical needs.

With this award, Keltic Pharma’s initial application of the PEPSMOL© platform will focus on inflammatory airway diseases, specifically severe asthma that is unresponsive to conventional treatments. The company’s founders have validated the FFA4 receptor as a novel target in inflammatory lung disease, demonstrating promise in reversing lung inflammation in preclinical models.

“We are thrilled to receive the Innovate UK SMART Grant, which will enable us to expand our team in Glasgow, validate the PEPSMOL© platform against the FFA4 receptor, and explore new approaches to treating severe asthma,” said Andrew Tobin, Chief Executive of Keltic Pharma Therapeutics. “Our goal is to develop inhaled synthetic biologic drugs that can normalise lung function and reduce inflammation in severe asthma patients, offering a novel and much-needed treatment option in respiratory medicine.”

The support from Innovate UK will allow Keltic Pharma Therapeutics to push the boundaries of GPCR drug discovery, potentially leading to life-changing treatments and contributing to the UK’s economic growth through innovation in the biotech sector.

For more information about Keltic Pharma and its innovative PEPSMOL© platform, please visit https://keltic-pharma.com/ or contact info@keltic-pharma.com