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Irish Independent

Two Galway medical projects awarded €20million

The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) has invested €422 million so far into progressing the six national research priority areas: ICT, health and wellbeing, food, energy, climate action and sustainability, manufacturing and materials, and services and business processes. It is also one of the four funds set up in the National Development Plan through 2027. 'The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund is about investing in bold ideas and ambitious partnerships that have the potential to deliver real impact – for our economy and for our society, said Enterprise Ireland CEO, Jenny Melia. Of the almost half a million euro awarded thus far, 34pc (€132 million) of that has been to projects in County Galway. The scheme has received a total of 299 funding applications, with only 110 approved nationwide to date. Thus far in Galway, all applications submitted during the seventh call have been successful. The remaining applications are still under review, with another call for submissions expected later this year. The first project, N-LIFT, received €12 million, the largest sum of money, to 'overcome treatment resistance in advanced or metastatic solid tumours that are no longer responding to therapy'. This includes specifically metastatic cervical cancer and head and neck cancer. In collaboration between the University of Galway, LIfT BioSciences, and Hooke Bio the funds will help launch the first human trial of Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMAN) therapy. 'Starting human studies brings us closer to clinically validating this approach and lays the groundwork for expanding our operations in Ireland, attracting further investment, and accelerating development of what we believe could be a game-changing cancer therapy,' said CEO of LIfT Biosciences, Alex Blyth. 'The results from scans, biopsies and bloods will enable us to see the effect the treatment is having, and, in particular, how 'hot' we have made the tumour in terms IMANs recruiting and activating patients own immune cells to help attack the tumour – an early indicator of this working.' LIfT is an Irish-based biotech company with offices in An Spidéal. CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, Tomás Ó Síocháin calls on the 'tremendous potential' of how 'international biotechnology companies can thrive in Gaeltacht communities while creating high-value employment opportunities'. An expanded workforce in An Spidéal is expected as it moves towards the clinical trial start date in 2026. ADVERTISEMENT The second project to be awarded €9 million in funds is Ventripump seeking to treat cardiogenic shock – a life-threatening condition where the heart fails to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. The goal is to bring the device platform up as the 'gold standard' in the medical industry. The team behind this initiative includes CardiacBooster, Integer Holdings, and Fire1, who aim to deliver the 'first significant innovation' for a condition with a notably high mortality rate. The core objective of both is preventing loss of life and enhancing the quality of it. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.