CaixaImpulse Health Innovation Program funds nine new Portuguese biomedical and health projects

The ”la Caixa” Foundation has concluded the 2024 edition of the CaixaImpulse Innovation in Health Program, through which it will award €3.4 million to 29 biomedical and health research projects, covering research centers, hospitals, and universities in Spain and Portugal.

The aim of this program is to contribute to the transfer of research results to society and the market, and to foster the creation of new products, services, and companies related to life sciences and health.

In Portugal, the Call carried out in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and with the collaboration of BPI. Of the total number of projects awarded, nine are projects from Portuguese research centers, hospitals, and universities, which received total funding of €850,000.

In terms of funding, depending on the maturity of the project, supported projects receive between €50,000 and €500,000 to develop over the next two years. In this edition, 16 projects are in phase 1 (up to €50,000); 11 are in phase 2 (up to €150,000), and 2 are in phase 3 (up to €500,000). The FCT is funding one of the Portuguese projects selected in phase 1.

Among the Portuguese projects funded, the following stand out: a new type of immunotherapy (based on memory T cells) to treat solid tumors; a medical device made from bacterial nanocellulose to regenerate cartilage and treat osteoarthritis; an accurate and non-invasive diagnostic method for bladder cancer, integrating ultrasound and imaging and using artificial intelligence (AI).

The CaixaImpulse Innovation in Health Program was created in 2015 by the ”la Caixa” Foundation. Since then, €24.7 million has been awarded and 231 projects have been supported, leading to the creation of 44 spin-offs and the subsequent obtaining of additional co-financing, through other Calls private investors, worth more than €100 million. Since joining this program in 2022, FCT has directly supported four projects led by national institutions, with around €218,000.

Find out more about all the winning projects from the 2024 edition.