Continuity Biosciences lands $9.6M Gates grant for multi-year HIV prevention implant
What's the deal? Continuity BiosciencesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has been awarded an up to $9.6 million grant from the Gates FoundationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to develop a subcutaneous implant that delivers HIV prevention medicine for multiple years from a single placement. The clinical-stage biotech, based in Bradenton, Florida, and Seattle, is targeting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in low- and middle-income countries.
What's the endgame? The implant uses Continuity's nanofluidic technology, which controls drug release at a steady rate over an extended period. The grant funds Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies, an IND submission, and a Phase 1 first-in-human trial.
Why now? UNAIDS recorded 1.2 million new HIV infections in 2025. Daily oral PrEP works when taken as prescribed, but adherence is hard to sustain; long-acting injectables still demand clinic visits every two to six months and a reliable supply chain.
"For many people, the challenge in HIV prevention is not the availability of effective medicines, but the burden of staying protected consistently over time," said chief executive officer Ramakrishna "Krishna" Venugopalan.
As part of the grant, Continuity made Global Access commitments to the Gates Foundation, including pricing the technology affordably for people most in need and sharing knowledge from the program.
What could go wrong? The implant has not yet reached human testing. The grant covers preclinical work and only the start of a Phase 1 study — the first of several steps before any product could reach patients.
Beyond HIV, Continuity is applying its delivery platforms to type 1 diabetes, endocrinology, and oncology, including a first-in-human study of its oncology platform in pancreatic cancer.
The signal: At $9.6 million, the award sits in the top 5% of all health-sector grants on record — a bet that device-level drug delivery can close the adherence gap where pills and injections have struggled, particularly in resource-limited settings.
Read more: prnewswire.com
Image credit: Continuity Biosciences
