Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Javelin Biotech Inc. received a $349,677 Project Grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS, CFDA 93.350) effective July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026. The award supports the investigation of how metabolic disease states impact the pharmacodynamics and toxicity of four FDA-approved antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs using an integrated liver-kidney microphysiological system (MPS) platform. Specifically, the awardee will utilize the Javelin Liver Tissue Chip Plus platform, which integrates human liver and kidney tissue models, to characterize the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profiles—particularly hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity—of these ASO-based therapies.

This research addresses critical knowledge gaps in understanding adverse drug reactions and therapeutic efficacy failures that have led to the discontinuation of numerous ASO candidates in development pipelines and from the market. By leveraging an in vitro human-specific platform with greater complexity than traditional cellular models, the project delivers translational science infrastructure to reduce bottlenecks in ASO drug development and advance the delivery of safer, more effective therapeutic options to patients. The work aligns with NCATS's core mission to accelerate the movement of scientific discoveries into practical health solutions and diagnostics.