# NIH Funds UP Oncolytics Therapy

The National Institutes of Health awarded UP Oncolytics **$2.5 million** in Phase II SBIR Fast-Track funding for a two-year effort to complete preclinical development of an engineered Zika-virus therapy for glioblastoma and prepare an Investigational New Drug application for the Food and Drug Administration. The award follows an earlier $500,000 Phase I SBIR award. It is research funding, not an open procurement solicitation, but the development work could create downstream needs as the program advances.

- The funded scope centers on preclinical research and IND preparation; the FDA is the intended regulatory recipient of the application, not the funding agency.
- Research, testing, manufacturing, and clinical-trial support firms may find future subcontracting or service opportunities as the therapy progresses, though no such procurement is announced in this signal.
- Contractors can use the two-year development period and stated technical milestones to assess whether their capabilities align with potential future support needs.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Healthcare
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 20, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

### Vendors
- UP Oncolytics (awardee)

### Sources
- [UP Oncolytics Gets $2.5M NIH Funding for Zika Virus Glioblastoma Therapy](https://www.clinicaltrialvanguard.com/news/up-oncolytics-gets-2-5m-nih-funding-for-zika-virus-glioblastoma-therapy) - The Clinical Trial Vanguard