Helmholtz Validation Funds

Validation is the decisive step in technology transfer: new products or services leave the laboratory and prove themselves in practice.

With the Helmholtz Validation Fund (HVF), we provide optimal support for this process: we help identify promising fields of application, develop prototypes and set up production. In the medical field, we also support (pre)clinical studies.

Each year, we support a maximum of six projects with up to two million euros through the HVF.

Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE)

The immunX project, which will receive 600,000 euros for one year, is focused on testing active ingredients to determine whether they can trigger inflammatory reactions, and thus intolerance, when used for treatment. The project is to be expanded to create an innovative testing platform that will systematically reduce the risk of undesired reactions during active ingredient development and discovery. The platform is intended to facilitate the development of new medications and treatments. After successful validation, immunX will first be used as an internal DZNE service and marketed with non-exclusive licenses. The applicants are also considering a spin-off later on. External parties have already expressed interest in the project.

Point of contact: Dr. Eugenio Fava, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI)

The goal of the project, which will receive around 877,000 euros in funding over two years, is to perform the critical pre-clinical trials and production steps for a new additive called bis-(3’,5’)-cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) for a hepatitis C virus vaccination. Its application as an adjuvant will then be validated and refined in a clinical Phase 1 study with the vaccine candidate. In animal study models, c-di-AMP has already induced enhanced cellular and hormonal immune responses. After successful validation, the plan is to license the adjuvant in conjunction with further clinical trials by the applicant.

Point of contact: Prof. Dr. Carlos Guzman, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
Max Delbrück Center (MDC)
Helmholtz Munich (Munich)
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE)

Helmholtz Validation Funds

immunX (HVF)

COLOMAB

PANHPVAX

c-di-AMP (HVF)

genPHSats

EBV-VLP Vakzine

REINFORCE

Kalk-SWS

Qruise

3D-BrainFunction