Swedish biotech company MucoLife Therapeutics AB has received SEK 1 million in funding from Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency. The grant was awarded through a programme that supports small and medium-sized businesses in using life sciences research and manufacturing facilities.

The company will use the funding to develop a larger-scale manufacturing process for MLT-001, its first drug candidate. MLT-001 is an inhaled peptide designed to break down thick mucus blockages in the airways of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Mucus blockages affect more than half of patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Currently, there are no approved treatments specifically designed to target this problem. These blockages can make breathing more difficult, reduce lung function, increase the risk of disease flare-ups and lead to poorer health outcomes.

MucoLife says its research has already shown that MLT-001 can be produced using a scalable process. The new grant will help the company develop this process further so the drug can be manufactured in larger quantities.

The company will work closely with a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) to carry out the project. The goal is to establish a manufacturing process that delivers the required product purity and consistent production results. The project will also create detailed manufacturing guidelines and quality controls to support future production under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.

Manufacturing is the step that turns a promising molecule into a medicine,” says Thaher Pelaseyed, CEO of MucoLife. “With Vinnova’s support, we can build the purification process for MLT-001 and move closer to clinical trials.”

Gothenburg-based biopharmaceutical company MucoLife is developing MLT-001, an inhaled treatment designed to target thick mucus in the lungs of people with COPD and other lung diseases. The drug is still in the preclinical development stage and has not yet been approved for use.