Beactica awarded €0.7 million from EU for pioneering influenza research

Beactica, the leading Swedish fragment-based drug discovery company, today announced that it has received a grant of up to €700 000 from the EU 7th Framework Programme to support the Company’s pioneering work in the area of influenza.

In the FluCure project, Beactica will apply its proprietary fragment-based drug discovery platform to accelerate the identification and optimization of novel small molecules targeting influenza. Globally, seasonal influenza epidemics result in 3 to 5 million severe cases of illness and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year. The effectiveness of current anti-viral drugs to tackle influenza is restricted by the rapid appearance of new drug-resistant strains. Beactica will work with a consortium of top European researchers to develop small-molecule therapeutics that target the viral ribonucleoprotein complex, which is the replication core of the virus.

"We are delighted that the EU recognises the contribution we make by furthering funding for this important work. The grant enables us to continue strengthening our own drug discovery pipeline” said Dr Per Källblad, CEO of Beactica.

Beactica’s partners include several academic centres of excellence as well as Vironova AB, Sweden, and Pike Pharma GmbH, Switzerland. The project builds on the successes of FluDrugStrategy, a previous research project also funded by the 7th EU Framework Programme. FluCure runs over four years.

For additional information please contact Dr Per Källblad, Beactica CEO, +46 18 56 08 80.

About Beactica

Beactica AB is a specialist drug discovery company, utilising its proprietary methodologies to evaluate the biophysical interaction of molecules in order to generate novel therapeutics. The Company offers expertise and services in the area of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor-based small molecule interaction analysis and partnerships for fragment-based lead generation using its proprietary discovery platform. Founded in 2006 based on research carried out at Uppsala University and first-hand experience from the drug discovery industry, Beactica has established a robust reputation as the leader in SPR-based drug discovery. As well as providing services and building collaborations with external companies, Beactica is progressing its own drug discovery programmes. The company has its headquarter in Uppsala, Sweden. For more information, please visit www.beactica.com.

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