SenzaGen awarded EU grant of € 2,4 million in heavy competition, to develop GARDair for industry use
GARDair is the first in vitro test that can detect air-borne chemicals that cause respiratory allergies, by using a unique gene technology. This follows the international 3Rs principle, Reduce, Replace and Refine, and is the first cell-based alternative to animal testing for the respiratory tract. The grant of 2,4 million Euros means that SenzaGen can develop and refine GARDair at the same time as being able to increase the pace of commercial development and the launch of another new product line. The grant runs for 24 months.
– We are incredibly delighted and proud to be part of the EU's investment in the future, Horizon 2020. The fact that they choose to invest in 3Rs technologies shows how important this is. It is a confirmation of the potential of our technology platform, as well as a unique business opportunity to build on our product portfolio of commercially viable tests at a significantly faster rate, says Anki Malmborg, CEO of SenzaGen.
– It is important in many different industries to be able to test the capacity of chemicals to affect the respiratory system, and today there are no tests for this. There's a huge need for safety testing, and the grant from the EU gives us a unique opportunity together with partners from various different industries to develop the respiratory test of the future in accordance with OECD guidelines, says Henrik Johansson, Senior Scientist at SenzaGen.
SenzaGen's EU application has been coordinated by GAEU Consulting AB and received a exceptionally high score of 14,26 out of 15 in the EU evaluation, proving excellency both in the invention and in the application document.
Horizon 2020 in brief
Horizon 2020 is the EU's framework program for research and innovation. The program is the world's largest investment in research and innovation and has a total budget of around € 80 billion (2014-2020). The aim is to ensure the EU's global competitiveness. For more on Horizon 2020, see: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/.
