PhaSER Biomedical, a biotech company based in Dundee, has received a $2.7M (£2m) award from the Gates Foundation to accelerate the discovery of new therapeutics targeting infectious diseases including tuberculosis and malaria. The announcement came via company statement today.

The two-year funding extends PhaSER's involvement in the Gates Foundation's Global Health Discovery Collaboratory, an initiative that provides participating researchers with access to shared laboratory infrastructure and expertise. Through this programme, scientists globally gain the ability to leverage PhaSER's proprietary mouse models alongside technical knowledge regarding drug metabolism.

This grant builds on a previous $2.3M award from the Gates Foundation announced in 2024. During that funding period, the company's 8HUM model supported research initiatives across tuberculosis, malaria, schistosomiasis and Chagas disease.

The 8HUM Advantage

The 8HUM mouse model incorporates human versions of key genes responsible for drug metabolism. Standard laboratory mice typically eliminate drugs far more rapidly than humans, which can lead to misleading experimental outcomes. Research published in PNAS by University of Dundee scientists demonstrated that compounds behave in 8HUM mice in ways that closely mirror their behaviour in human patients.

PhaSER Biomedical was established in October 2022 to commercialise access to this model. The technology was developed by Professor Roland Wolf at the University of Dundee in collaboration with CXR Biosciences, Taconic and Scottish Enterprise.

Expanding Beyond Drug Testing

The company is leveraging the 8HUM platform to develop HERALD, an artificial intelligence system designed to forecast adverse drug interactions when patients take multiple medications simultaneously. This tool is being created in partnership with the University of Dundee and the MHRA, the United Kingdom's medicines regulator. In October 2025, the regulator announced £859,650 in government funding for the project.

According to Professor Wolf, PhaSER's founder, "Over the last two years we have seen how the humanised models provide human-relevant data that can rescue promising compounds, de-risk candidates and save valuable drug development time." Chris Wardhaugh, the company's chief executive, added: "Human-relevant evidence earlier in development means better choices about which medicines to take forward."

Growth and Strategic Moves

PhaSER is currently recruiting specialists in artificial intelligence and computational modelling. The company has also appointed Richard Bickerton, a co-founder of AI-driven drug discovery firm Exscientia, to join its board. Exscientia was acquired by Recursion in 2024.

The firm is actively engaged in discussions with potential investors regarding capital to support its expansion.

Source: The Next Web