News

Virginia Catalyst Announces Grant Round 15 Awarded Projects

The Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), today announced that it has awarded $2.2 million in grants to four life and bioscience projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia. These four collaborative projects, involving Virginia research universities and industry partners, were awarded through Virginia Catalyst Grant Round 15 to address major unmet healthcare needs and drive job creation and capital formation in Virginia.

Through this 15th round of funding, Virginia Catalyst has awarded 61 grants totaling $29.7 million, resulting in over $47 million in matching funds and an additional $821 million in follow-on funding to date.

Grant Round 15 awarded projects:

Project: Transforming Asthma Treatment with a New Generation A2B Adenosine Receptor Antagonist

  • Company: Adovate, LLC  (Charlottesville, VA)
  • University collaborators: University of Virginia and Virginia Tech
  • Funding amount: $800,000

Project: Optimization of a Wearable Enteral Feeding System for Commercialization

  • Company: Luminoah, Inc. (Charlottesville, VA)
  • University collaborators: University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Funding amount: $463,000

Project: Pre-clinical Evaluation of an Implant Device for the Regeneration of Severe Osteochondral Defects, Utilizing a Proven Novel Material and 3D Printing

  • Company: Nanochon, Inc. (Washington, DC)
  • University collaborators: Virginia Tech and University of Virginia
  • Funding amount: $445,000

Project: Blocking the S1P Pathway for Chronic Kidney Disease Therapeutics

  • Company: S1P Therapeutics, Inc. (Blacksburg, VA)
  • University collaborators: Virginia Tech and University of Virginia
  • Funding amount: $500,000

Recent News

10/29/2026

ReAlta Life Sciences Launches KnowHIE, a New Online Educational Resource for Families of Babies Diagnosed with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

ReAlta Life Sciences Inc. (“ReAlta” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on safely targeting neutrophils and central components of the complement system to potentially revolutionize the treatment of inflammatory disorders, today announced the launch of KnowHIE.com, a new educational website designed to help families and caregivers better understand neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) …

10/28/2026

Adial Pharmaceuticals Announces Name Change to Azora Therapeutics and New Executive Team, Focused on Advancing AT177, an Oral, Colon-Targeted AhR Agonist for Ulcerative Colitis

Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADIL), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for serious inflammatory diseases, today announced that it has changed its corporate name to Azora Therapeutics, Inc. The company’s common stock is expected to commence trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the new ticker symbol “AZR” on October 29, 2026. Azora has also launched …

10/28/2026

U.S. Bioscience Industry Powers Over $3 Trillion in Economic Output, New Report Finds

Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) released new national and state-level data on the U.S. bioscience industry’s economic impact. The report, “The U.S. Bioscience Economy: Advancing Innovation and Strengthening States and Regions,” examines the industry’s economic footprint through employment, wages, business establishments, university research and development, access …