Date: Dec 17, 2015 Author: Emily Micucci Source: Worcester Business Journal (
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A Westborough startup developing a treatment for a common parasitic infection was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), one of six grants issued through the state-backed investment agency's Universal Partnerships program.
The company, DetectoGen, will use the money to continue funding activities related to developing a treatment for visceral leishmaniasis, which affects more than one million people annually, and is common in developing countries in Asia and South America, according to the MLSC. The agency noted that U.S. military personnel stationed in those regions are increasingly exposed to infection with the disease, also known as black fever or kala-azar. According to the World Health Organization, visceral leishmaniasis is characterized by fever, substantial weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and anemia. It is fatal if left untreated.
DetectoGen received more than $1 million in federal grants through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to fund the development of screening methods and clinical trials. The company's MLSC was the largest of the six grants announced this week.
The MLSC's Universal Partnerships program is designed to help companies grow while addressing unmet medical needs, and specifically allow recipients to partner with other organizations from across the globe to assist with research and development and deliver new treatments and healthcare technologies, the agency said.
