University spin-out company raises 4.4 million GBP for type 2 diabetes treatments

A spin-out company from the Universities of Glasgow and Southern Denmark has raised £4.4 million of funding for novel type 2 diabetes treatments.
Caldan Therapeutics Ltd has only been incorporated for a month, and they are focusing on developing treatments to target free fatty acid receptors for type 2 diabetes.
This is due to the involvement of free fatty acid receptors in several aspects of how type 2 develops. A number of studies have reported individuals with higher fasting levels of plasma free fatty acids could have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at Calden believe that developing treatments to activate free fatty acid receptors could lead to anti-diabetic effects in multiple tissues and organs.
Calden was created through a long-term collaboration between Professor Trond Ulven at the University of Southern Denmark, and Professor Graeme Milligan of the University of Glasgow.
Prof. Ulven said: “Combined, we believe our approach towards these receptors could do what T2D patients need. We have built up insight into these receptors over the last few years, and are equipped to potentially generate safe and efficacious compounds with the right properties.”
The investment in Calden has been by a venture capital fund called Epidarex Capital, which focuses on early-stage life sciences companies. Eli Lilly Company is a limited partner in the fund.