Vast Therapeutics Awarded Another $2 Million Grant to Combat Rare Respiratory Disease

Funds from NIH will Advance Orphan Drug Development as a Potential Treatment for Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Pulmonary Disease

MORRISVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES, September 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vast Therapeutics, a clinical-stage life science company, today announced that it has been awarded a second, approximately two million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (1) The 2-year project aims to advance our inhaled nitric oxide technology as a breakthrough treatment for patients who suffer life altering consequences from ‘the incurable nightmare’ caused by Mycobacterium abscessus.

There are approximately 90,000 patients in the U.S. with non-tuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) where initial diagnoses are followed by a decline in quality of life, hospitalizations, and increased mortality. The 5-year mortality rate for these patients is approximately 1 out of every individuals. 

Current treatment approaches to NTM-PD require a cocktail of three or more daily antibiotics for over 12 months. Each of these antibiotics have side effects, may not be tolerated, and may not always reach satisfactory clinical endpoints. 

“Our approach is unlike any treatment strategy currently prescribed by clinicians to treat NTM-PD,” stated Dr. Nathan Stasko, Chief Executive Officer at Vast Therapeutics. “The potential safety advantages plus the ability to kill mycobacteria that have invaded immune cells without developing
antimicrobial resistance is unprecedented.” 

Mycobacterium abscessus, the focus of the NIH funded work, is a difficult multi-drug-resistant bacteria for which there are currently no FDA-approved treatments. Published results have demonstrated in vivo efficacy of Vast’s drug candidate in both acute and chronic animal models of NTM infection with no evidence of drug resistance. (2)

1. Project Title: Nebulized ALX1 as a Treatment for Difficult Non-tuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Infections
Amount: $1,950,129 (2-year award)
This support is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in response to a notice of special interest to advance biomedical research in pulmonary NTM infections of under Award Number R44AI186617. This announcement is solely the responsibility of the company and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

2. McDonald RA, Nagy SG, Chambers M, Broberg CA, Ahonen MJR, Schoenfisch MH. Nitric oxide-releasing prodrug for the treatment of complex Mycobacterium abscessus infections.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024, 68:e01327-23.

About Vast Therapeutics
Vast is a clinical-stage life science company committed to creating transformative medicines for patients with serious lung diseases. The debilitating cycle of chronic infection and inflammation affects lungs across the entire spectrum of human life, ranging from children with rare orphan diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF) to adults with the highly prevalent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our drug candidates target the nitric oxide insufficiency in these diseases to provide both meaningful patient benefits as well as address underlying causality.

Nathan Stasko, Chief Executive Officer
Vast Therapeutics, Inc.
+1 919-321-1726
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.