LIfT BioSciences Announces Grant of €12 Million to Support the First-in-Human Clinical Trial of LIfT’s IMAN Therapy

LIft BioSciences, a rapidly emerging biotech and the global leader in neutrophil immunotherapies, led by Alex Blyth(CEO and Founder), Alfonso Quintas Cardama(Chief Medical Officer), Dr. Mark A. Exley(Chief Scientific Officer), Andrew Willis(Chief Regulatory and Development Officer), and others, announced a grant of €12 million from Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) to advance its Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs).

A €12 million grant—the largest ever awarded by the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF)—was awarded to a consortium formed by LIfT alongside the University of Galway and Hooke Bio. The University of Galway brings deep expertise in cell therapy development and clinical trials, while Hooke Bio contributes a novel immuno-analytics platform aimed at improving therapy response rates.

The funding will support an investigator-initiated clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and safety of IMAN therapy in patients with metastatic cervical or head and neck cancer who have exhausted all standard treatment options, including checkpoint inhibitors.

The trial will evaluate escalating IMAN doses in sequential patient cohorts to identify the biologically active dose. Once established, additional patients will receive IMANs at the recommended dose alongside checkpoint inhibitor therapy. This study aims to accelerate the clinical development of IMAN therapy, paving the way for broader patient access and supporting further investment into LIfT’s clinical and manufacturing program in Galway.