Developing new biologic drugs using advanced screening techniques
Official title: High Content Screening for Bifunctional Chimera Biologics
Funded at Heligenics INC · NIH-11065006 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for new types of medicines that can boost your immune system to help treat cancer, obesity, and autoimmune diseases, so that patients can have safer and more effective treatment options.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Heligenics INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Henderson, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $807,664 |
| NIH project number | 1R44AI188872-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11065006 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals suffering from autoimmune diseases, cancer, obesity, or related conditions who may benefit from advanced biologic treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions not related to immune response or those who do not respond to biologic therapies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on creating and screening new bifunctional biologic drugs that can enhance immune responses and treat conditions like cancer, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Using a novel high-throughput screening method called the GigaAssay, the team will evaluate vast libraries of protein variants to identify those with improved therapeutic effects. Patients may benefit from more effective and safer treatments derived from these biologics, which are designed to stimulate cellular functions in a targeted manner.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the development of more effective and safer biologic therapies for various diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing biologic drugs using high-throughput screening methods, indicating a promising approach for this project.
Where this research is happening
-
Heligenics INC
Henderson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valente, Liz — Heligenics INC
- Study coordinator: Valente, Liz
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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High-content screening for bifunctional protein drugs
A patient-facing overview of a grant designing a new way to test innovative protein medicines that could boost immune responses and treat conditions linked to inflammation and immunity.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.