Keltic Pharma Therapeutics awarded $1.3 million from Gates Foundation to accelerate ground-breaking malaria drug discovery programme
Published: 25 November 2025
In a separate announcement, the University spin-out has also partnered with Scotland-based BioAscent to give customers access to cutting-edge peptide discovery platform for GPCR targets.
Keltic Pharma Therapeutics, a University of Glasgow spin-out, has been awarded $1.3 million (£1.15 million) in new funding from the Gates Foundation to accelerate its ground-breaking malaria drug discovery programme.
Keltic Pharma’s malaria programme is advancing towards IND enablement within the next 12 months and is designed to deliver a single-dose cure — a potential game-changer in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Malaria still causes more than 600,000 deaths globally each year, with children under five the most vulnerable, and resistance to current treatments continuing to rise.
“We are honoured to receive this support from the Gates Foundation,” said Andrew Tobin, CEO of Keltic Pharma Therapeutics. “This funding will allow us to accelerate a programme that we believe could transform malaria treatment globally.
“A safe, single-dose cure would represent a step change for patients, health systems, and communities most affected by the disease.”
“Our science is at a pivotal stage,” added Andrew Jamieson, Chief Scientific Officer at Keltic Pharma. “With IND-enabling studies now in sight, we are closer than ever to bringing forward a medicine with the potential to save countless lives.”
The award highlights both the urgency of new malaria treatments and Keltic Pharma’s commitment to tackling global health challenges from its base in Scotland.
Uzma Khan, Vice Principal for Innovation and Economic Development at the University of Glasgow, said: “The University is delighted to see Keltic Pharma securing support from one of the world’s most respected global health funders.
“The company’s ground-breaking technology has the potential to make a life-changing impact for thousands of people worldwide, and the University is proud to have played its part in helping this research achieve translational impact.”
In a separate announcement, Keltic Pharma Therapeutics has partnered with Scotland-based BioAscent to give customers access to cutting-edge peptide discovery platform for GPCR targets.
The company said the collaboration with the leadiing integrated drug discovery services provider was an important milestone in making its platform broadly available to the biotech and pharma community.
Professor Tobin said: “By working with BioAscent’s experienced team and established customer base, we can help unlock new drug discovery opportunities and bring forward more effective treatments, faster.”
Keltic Pharma is pioneering next-generation drug discovery through its proprietary PEPSMOL® platform - a world-first technology that translates peptide biology into small-molecule therapeutics.
By bridging the gap between academic insight and industrial application, the company is advancing new treatments across major disease areas including malaria, Parkinson’s disease and severe asthma.
Founded by Professors Andrew Tobin, Graeme Milligan, and Andrew Jamieson, together with an experienced commercial and translational leadership team, Keltic combines world-class expertise in GPCR pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and AI-enabled molecular design.
Background
Keltic Pharma Therapeutics was formed in 2019 following a successful funding raise from both the European Union Malaria Fund (EUMF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Its laboratories are based at the Advanced Research Centre (ARC) at the University of Glasgow, where a multidisciplinary team of leading pharmacologists and chemists is driving discovery programmes with global relevance and clinical potential.
For more information, visit www.keltic-pharma.com
About innovation at the University of Glasgow
The creation of spin-out companies is at the heart of the University’s Innovation Strategy (2022-25). In 2024, six of the University’s spin-outs raised investment of more than £60 million, creating 250 jobs across a range of commercial and spin-out activity.
Since the launch of the Strategy, the University has invested in infrastructure and programmes that foster innovation and accelerate translation – from major funding drives in MedTech and SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) to the launch of Infinity G, Scotland’s first DeepTech accelerator, delivered in collaboration with the Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC). Together, these initiatives have enhanced the University’s capacity to translate research excellence into real-world impact.
The University is also working with partners Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council through the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID) – a partnership designed to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, government and communities. Anchored by the University, GRID is creating the conditions for innovation-led growth – attracting high-value industry, supporting new business formation and jobs, and driving inclusive economic development.
First published: 25 November 2025