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Confo Therapeutics receives €1.7 million VLAIO grant for further research on GPCR modulators for rare diseases

Confo Therapeutics, founded in 2015 as a spin-off from VIB and VUB, announced today that it has been awarded a €1.7 million grant from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). The grant should help expand Confo Therapeutic’s research on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug candidates. 

Through its unique platform technology, Confo Therapeutics develops GPCR modulators for patients with severe and underserved diseases, with a specific focus on rare diseases. Among other things, the company intends to address an important target for neurological orphan conditions which is currently considered to be an undruggable GPCR.

The research pursued under the aegis of this VLAIO grant will allow Confo Therapeutics to unlock new potential treatments for unmet disease areas and to simultaneously pursue new technology developments. This should ultimately shorten drug discovery timelines and expand their proprietary pipeline for rare disease indications. ​

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VIB is an independent research institute that translates insights in biology into impactful innovations for society. Collaborating with the five Flemish universities, it conducts research in plant biology, cancer, neuroscience, microbiology, inflammatory diseases, artificial intelligence and more. VIB connects science with entrepreneurship and stimulates the growth of the Flemish biotech ecosystem. The institute contributes to solutions for societal challenges such as new methods for diagnostics and treatments, as well as innovations for agriculture. 

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