Scottish biotech PhaSER Biomedical wins $2.7M Gates grant to tackle infectious diseases

Gates Foundation funds PhaSER’s fight against infectious diseases

Scottish biotech firm PhaSER Biomedical has secured a $2.7 million grant from the Gates Foundation. The money will fund research into new treatments for tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases. The grant also renews PhaSER’s role in the foundation’s Global Health Discovery Collaboratory, which gives Gates-funded researchers shared access to lab tools and expertise.

Humanized mouse model cuts trial-and-error in drug testing

The $2.7 million grant follows a $2.3 million award PhaSER received from the Gates Foundation in 2024. At the heart of its work is the 8HUM model—a mouse genetically modified to carry human versions of the key genes that break down drugs. Studies on tuberculosis, malaria, schistosomiasis and Chagas disease have already used this model.

University of Dundee researchers reported in PNAS that drugs behave in 8HUM mice far more like they do in human patients than in ordinary lab mice. That similarity could shrink the number of drugs that fail when they reach human trials.

AI tool HERALD targets drug safety risks before they strike

PhaSER is also developing HERALD, an AI tool that predicts harmful side effects when drugs are combined. The project partners with the University of Dundee and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In October 2025, the UK government granted it £859,650 to accelerate development. Early detection of safety risks could spare drug developers costly late-stage failures.

Exscientia co-founder joins board as PhaSER ramps up AI efforts

PhaSER launched in October 2022, spun out from research led by University of Dundee professor Roland Wolf. Early backing came from CXR Biosciences, Taconic and Scottish Enterprise. Now the company is recruiting specialists in AI and computational modeling.

This month, PhaSER appointed Richard Bickerton to its board. Bickerton co-founded AI-driven drug discovery firm Exscientia, which Recursion acquired in 2024. His appointment signals PhaSER’s push to integrate AI deeper into its research.

PhaSER eyes new investors for expansion

Chris Wardhaugh, PhaSER’s chief executive, said the company’s human-relevant data rescues promising drug compounds, lowers risks and cuts development timelines. The firm is now in talks with investors to support its next phase of growth.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

The Gates Foundation’s repeated funding confirms its confidence in PhaSER’s approach: replacing guesswork with human-relevant data and AI predictions to deliver safer, more effective drugs for diseases that disproportionately affect low-income countries.

Key takeaways

• The $2.7 million grant keeps PhaSER plugged into the Gates Foundation’s global lab network, slashing costs and speeding up research.
• 8HUM mice bridge the gap between animal tests and human trials, reducing failures for diseases like tuberculosis and malaria.
• HERALD’s AI could flag dangerous drug combinations early, preventing expensive late-stage clinical setbacks.
• Bringing Exscientia’s co-founder onto the board sharpens PhaSER’s focus on AI-driven drug discovery.

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