Lila Bio has received a $3.65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The startup uses AI to design protein treatments. The funding will support a potential therapy for pulmonary hypertension.
Grant scope
The award is a Small Business Innovation Research fast-track grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It is split into two phases. The first provides $605,981 for early testing in mice, rats, and non-human primates.
Company background
Lila Bio was founded in 2023 by Jake Kraft and Anindya Roy. Both worked as postdoctoral fellows at the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design. The company also raised $10 million in seed funding in 2023.
Product approach
Lila Bio uses AI and machine learning to create therapeutic proteins. Its long-acting injectable drugs are made to stay active in the body for weeks or months. The goal is a treatment that patients could receive two to four times per year.
The second grant phase includes $3,049,462 for further animal testing and patient lung tissue studies. Lila Bio also has a collaboration with Eli Lilly focused on solid tumor treatments. The company is working to bring designed protein medicines to patients.