An Australian fund to advance biomedical breakthroughs has awarded $10 million to a company developing a treatment to combat potentially lethal peanut allergies in children.
The Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF) is a $500 million pot and Prota Therapeutics will be given $10 million to progress its novel treatment, which is the first in the world to actually allow youngsters to include peanuts in their diet. Prota Therapeutics was established last year to progress the oral treatment pioneered by Professor Mimi Tang from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne.
Australian health minister Greg Hunt said: “The BTF is designed to change and improve the lives of Australians. This innovative solution to a lethal allergy experienced by so many kids and their parents in Australia and around the world has resulted from the great collaborative efforts of Prof Mimi Tang at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Prota Therapeutics.”
The company is initially developing the treatment to tackle peanut allergies but it is expected to be used on a range of food allergies.
