The «la Caixa» Foundation has concluded its 2024 CaixaImpulse Innovation programme, funding 29 biomedical and health projects from Spain and Portugal. With a total of €3.4 million allocated, the initiative aims to accelerate the market launch of these innovations and bring them closer to patients. The selected projects, chosen from over 400 applications, include innovations in genetic risk prediction for myocardial infarction, non-invasive cancer detection, vision assessment devices, AI for infectious disease, and new immunotherapies for solid tumors.
The projects span therapies (12), diagnostics (9), medical devices (7), and digital health (1). Funding ranges from €50,000 to €500,000 depending on project maturity, and progression to higher funding stages is possible upon achieving specific milestones.
One highlighted project, led by Dr. Marcos Malumbres, focuses on developing a new family of CDK-targeted drugs to treat liver cancer, aiming to create a spin-off company to commercialize the drugs. Alongside financial support, the programme provides mentoring and expert consultancy to help researchers bring their innovations to market.
