Freya Biosciences, a biotech company focused on women’s health, has secured a $10.4 million strategic investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with $1.4 million additional financing from EIFO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark). The funding extends the company’s Series A to approximately $50 million.
The investment will support the expansion of Freya’s DYSCOVERTM platform to develop microbial immunotherapies for bacterial vaginosis (BV) treatment and pre-term birth prevention. The company’s platform has already identified Lactobacillus strains capable of engrafting in the vaginal tract to displace dysbiotic vaginal microbiome and reduce inflammation biomarkers.
“We are thrilled that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has placed its trust and financing in Freya to address major unmet global health challenges. This is an important validation of our work and the potential of the DYSCOVER platform, enabling Freya to develop critically needed therapeutic candidates for women’s and infant health,” said Colleen Acosta, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Freya Biosciences.
BV affects 23-29% of women of reproductive age, with higher rates in low-and middle-income countries. The condition can lead to serious complications in pregnant women, including premature membrane rupture, preterm birth, and miscarriage.
“Freya’s mission is to develop innovative solutions that can transform the health outcomes for millions of women globally, including in low-resource settings,” said Peter Bisgaard, Chairman of the Board. “This strategic investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation empowers us to take on one of the most pressing issues in maternal and infant health – bacterial vaginosis, its associated inflammation and connection to preterm birth. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of our breakthrough therapies extend to women everywhere.”
