Dublin, Ireland – 23 June 2025 – SelekTx, a UCD spin-out project developing a new class of precision biologics targeting hard-to-drug disease proteins, today announced it has been awarded a prestigious Commercialisation Fund grant from Enterprise Ireland. The award will support the development and de-risking of SelekTx’s proprietary drug discovery platform over a two-year period, accelerating the path to spin-out and commercialisation.
The SelekTx platform—based on patented libraries of engineered human proteins known as Selektides—offers a novel approach to biologic drug development. By combining the selectivity of receptor-binding peptides with the stability and modularity of a hyperstable protein scaffold, Selektides are uniquely positioned to overcome long-standing challenges in targeting structurally complex and poorly druggable proteins such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
The two-year project, led by Professor David O’Connell (UCD) in collaboration with Professor Sara Linse (Lund University), will use the Enterprise Ireland funding to validate lead candidates in three high-value therapeutic areas: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity, and Metastatic Cancer. The project also includes critical in vivo studies to characterise the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and selectivity of lead molecules—key data required by pharmaceutical partners and venture investors.
“This award is a major milestone for the SelekTx project,” said Prof. David O’Connell, Principal Investigator. “It enables us to generate the pivotal preclinical data needed to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of Selektides and to build toward a successful spin-out from UCD.”
The SelekTx project is structured around a proprietary four-part R&D process—EndoSelekt, IntelliSelekt, FunctionSelekt, and FormatSelekt—that integrates receptor-specific selection using engineered and disease-relevant cell lines,
The grant will also support business development activities including preparation of licensing materials and outreach to pharmaceutical partners.
“GPCRs represent a major opportunity in biopharmaceutical R&D, but their complexity has made them difficult to address with traditional drug formats,” said Dr. Kyran McStay, co-founder and finance and commercialisation lead for SelekTx. “What makes SelekTx compelling to pharma is the potential to unlock these targets with a new class of precision biologics. This grant supports the critical preclinical work that allows us to build those commercial relationships—through licensing discussions, R&D collaborations, and ultimately, the delivery of novel drug candidates that pharma can take forward.”
With the support of Enterprise Ireland, SelekTx is on track to launch as an Irish-headquartered biotechnology company, combining research strengths from UCD and Lund University. The company will pursue a licensing-driven commercial model focused on de-risked preclinical assets in chronic disease areas where existing treatments fall short due to side effects or insufficient selectivity.
About Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the Irish government agency responsible for supporting the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Through its Commercialisation Fund, the agency provides critical support to academic researchers and early-stage companies to help translate cutting-edge innovations into commercially viable technologies. The fund plays a key role in enabling university spin-outs like SelekTx to progress from laboratory discoveries to investor-ready and industry-partnered ventures.
For further information, please contact:
Prof. David O’Connell – david.oconnell@ucd.ie
Dr. Kyran McStay – kyran@selektx.com
www.selektx.com