Clinical-stage life science company Vast Therapeutics announced on Tuesday that it has been awarded a grant of nearly USD2m from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This will help fund a two-year project intended to advance Vast Therapeutics' ALX1 as a breakthrough treatment for patients globally who suffer life altering consequences from chronic lung infections caused by the deadly bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Nathan Stasko, Vast Therapeutics' CEO, said: "This award recognises the commercialisation potential of this technology, the strength of our management team, and the potential impact to patients. Current solutions don't completely solve the problem and lead to progressive loss of lung function over time. We believe that eradicating Pseudomonas has the potential to save lives."