Morphogen-IX, a new Cambridge-based biotech company, has gained seed funding to develop a new treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that directly targets the major pathway implicated in human genetic studies.  This potential treatment is based on the culmination of 15 years of work by Professor Nick Morrell (University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine) and his team.

Morphogen-IX has worked closely with the British Heart Foundation and Cambridge Enterprise (the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge) to license the intellectual property arising from Professor Morrell’s research. The company now intends to confirm the best drug candidate to take forward into full development.

Professor Morrell said, “We are delighted that our BHF-funded research has led to the discovery of a new potential treatment for this rare but important disease. Our new company, Morphogen-IX, is the most efficient vehicle to take this exciting approach forward rapidly into clinical development.”