Maryland, US-based biotech company VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT) announced today that it has been awarded a two-year grant of over US$ 2.8 million (about JPY 433 million) from the Gates Foundation to develop next-gen multi-stage malaria vaccines. As an additional site for this work, a portion of the budget will also be earmarked for VLPT Japan, Inc., a VLPT subsidiary.

This funding will enable VLPT to advance pre-clinical research and development of such vaccines using its proprietary platform technologies. These efforts aim to enhance protection, lower costs, and expand equitable access for people in low‑ and middle‑income countries. At this stage, VLPT will design and screen vaccine candidates and evaluate their immunogenicity in rodent models.

“At VLP Therapeutics, we are committed to advancing next‑generation malaria vaccines that improve efficacy and expand access where they are most needed. By leveraging our platform technologies to improve efficacy and reduce costs, we aim to accelerate ‘Fast‑to‑Phase 1’ development and strengthen the global RNA ecosystem,” said Wataru Akahata, PhD, CEO and co-founder of VLPT. “This initiative will benefit individuals in need — especially children— while empowering local health systems, manufacturers, and policymakers to drive equitable prevention strategies worldwide.”

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About VLP Therapeutics: VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT), co-founded in 2013 by Drs. Wataru Akahata, Ryuji Ueno, and Sachiko Kuno, is a Maryland, US-based biotech company with a mission to address unmet medical needs worldwide and expand the frontiers of prophylactic and therapeutic immunotherapy. VLPT is currently engaged in research and development of cancer treatment as well as infectious disease prevention.

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