US biotech company secures US$8.2m to improve maternal and newborn health in undernourished populations

A US biotech company has received US$8.2m from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify “novel” interventions for children and undernourished pregnant women.

In collaboration with other institutions affiliated with the foundation, New York-based Kallyope will use its gut-focused screening and validation capabilities to identify bioactive compounds for improving maternal, newborn, and children’s health in the epicenters of the global food and nutrition crisis.

The four-year agreement focuses on the discovery and characterisation of metabolites that can be developed and delivered to undernourished pregnant and lactating women who are experiencing environmental enteric dysfunctions (EED).

EED is an incompletely defined syndrome of inflammation, high enteropathogen burden, reduced absorptive capacity, and reduced barrier function of the small intestine. It is widespread in low and middle-income countries.

“This is a unique, inspiring opportunity for Kallyope to positively impact global health by leveraging our industry-leading research platform, Klarity, which integrates multiple sophisticated technologies to develop transformative therapeutics in the areas of metabolism, gastrointestinal disease, and neurological disorders,” said Jay Galeota, president and CEO at Kallyope.

“We are honoured to receive support from the Gates Foundation to make progress towards giving every person, everywhere, the chance to lead a healthy, productive life.

“We are especially energised to focus on health advancements for pregnant women and new mothers and to prevent disease early in the lives of children.”

According to a report issued in March by UNICEF, the number of pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women suffering from acute malnutrition has soared since 2020, with South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa hit hardest.

Childhood EED has been associated with stunting – low height-for-age – with devastating, long-term consequences for child health and development.

Globally, 51 million children under two years are stunted due to malnutrition. Of those, about half become stunted during pregnancy and the first six months of life.

Stunting peaks at three months of age and is difficult to reverse after two years of age. Foetal growth restriction is predictive of stunting up to two years of age, and therefore early intervention with mothers during pregnancy can be a potential mechanism to improve infant outcomes later in life.

Under the agreement, the foundation will provide a grant to Kallyope of US$8.2m over four years.

The company will retain rights to develop compounds derived from the identified agents as possible therapeutics in other global regions, including as supplements in low-resource nations.