Florida biotech, Dyadic International, has secured a USD 3 mn grant from the Gates Foundation to develop affordable monoclonal antibodies for RSV and malaria, using its C1 protein production platform to address the limited access to mAb treatments in low- and middle-income countries.

Dyadic's C1 platform is designed to accelerate development, reduce production costs, and improve the scalability of biologic vaccines and therapeutics, with the funding aimed at enhancing its platform for rapid, cost-effective production of high-quality mAbs, potentially expanding access to critical treatments in underserved populations.

The following article originally appeared in Globe Newswire.

Dyadic International, Inc., a global biotechnology company, announced today that it has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Gates Foundation for the cell line development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and malaria utilizing the company’s proprietary C1 protein production platform to provide globally accessible treatment options for underserved populations.

RSV is a major cause of lower respiratory tract infection morbidity and mortality in children globally, causing 3.2–36 million hospitalizations and more than 100,000 deaths annually, 99% of which occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths globally, with the WHO African Region accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of deaths.

“Thanks to this new grant from the Gates Foundation, we are advancing our C1 platform to develop affordable therapeutics, addressing RSV, malaria, and promoting global health equity," said Mark Emalfarb, Founder and CEO of Dyadic. "We believe C1's increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness can expand access to therapeutics and vaccines for populations impacted by health disparities.”

Despite the potential of monoclonal antibodies to treat and protect against infectious diseases like RSV and malaria, they’re expensive to produce and remain out of reach for many of the world’s most vulnerable people. Innovation in the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies can help reduce costs and make these therapeutics more accessible and affordable in LMICs.

This grant will support the enhancement of the C1 platform, to enable rapid, cost-effective production of high-quality monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to improve global access to critical treatments. Focusing on RSV and malaria, diseases that disproportionately impact LMICs, this initiative aims to deliver affordable, effective therapeutic solutions and help address urgent global health challenges.

The versatile C1-cell protein production platform is based on an industrially proven microorganism (C1) designed to accelerate development, reduce production costs, and improve the scalability and performance of biologic vaccines and therapeutics for both human and animal health markets. Currently, the C1 platform is being utilized in collaborations with leading pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and government organizations to develop innovative vaccines and treatments. If these research efforts succeed, Dyadic plans to commercialize these and other antibodies through licensure, expanding access to affordable treatment options for patients worldwide and reducing the global burden of infectious diseases.

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