Kalm Therapeutics eczema and psoriasis research gets boost through Southern Research

HUNTSVILLE – To aid its work in making life easier for 20 million patients, Kalm Therapeutics recently received a grant from Southern Research’s Therapeutics Development Fund.

Kalm Therapeutics is an immune and inflammation-focused biopharma company on the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology campus in Huntsville.

Company officials said the award will support an in vivo good laboratory practices study on Kalm’s topical patch system in coordination with Southern Research.

Kalm Therapeutics’ focus is to use immune-modulating small molecules in its gentle adhesive patch to treat inflammatory skin conditions such aseczema, psoriasis, and prurigo nodularis while avoiding steroid use.

“The awarded grant will enable Kalm Therapeutics to accelerate its groundbreaking work and position the company for an FDA Investigational New Drug submission later this year,” said AJ Singhal, founder and CEO of Kalm Therapeutics. “We are focused on providing a safer and easier treatment alternative to steroids for the 20 million patients suffering from localized atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.”

Station 41 from Birmingham is a commercialization engine for life sciences and biotechnology at Southern Research and led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Therapeutics Development Fund supports work to help connect the Huntsville and Birmingham biotechnology ecosystems.

“As a scientist to CEO across my career, it is all about ecosystem building and support for me now,” said Dr. Erik Schwiebert, director of Station 41. “We want our long-simmering ecosystem to bubble and boil and do so across Alabama.

“We are also grateful for the underlying support from the Innovate Alabama Tax Credit Program to drive this project.”

Founded in 2024, Kalm Therapeutics is a pre-clinical drug development company focused on a medicated, controlled-release patch for the non-steroidal treatment of patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. It offers a steroid-free, natural alternative to the growing number of adults and children battling eczema. For more information, visit https://kalmtherapeutics.com.