NIH Funding Supports Direct-to-Brain Drug Delivery Platform for Recurrent Glioblastoma
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- CraniUS Therapeutics received an initial $1.1 million NIH Blueprint MedTech award to support development of NeuroPASS for recurrent glioblastoma, with the possibility to receive up to $4 million in total funding.
- The refillable skull-embedded implant is designed to deliver therapies directly into brain tissue, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.
- Funding will support engineering, manufacturing, preclinical, and regulatory work before a planned first-in-human study.
CraniUS Therapeutics (Baltimore, MD) announced that it received an initial $1.1 million award through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Blueprint MedTech Optimizer Program to support development of NeuroPASS, a skull-embedded drug delivery platform being advanced toward a first-in-human study in recurrent glioblastoma. The award includes the potential for up to $4 million in total funding.
NeuroPASS is a refillable implant designed to be placed within the skull and deliver therapy directly into brain tissue. The platform includes a concealed refill port intended to allow repeated outpatient dosing while limiting systemic exposure. The company’s initial clinical focus is recurrent glioblastoma, a disease in which treatment options remain limited and delivery of therapeutic concentrations across the blood-brain barrier remains a major challenge.
The NIH Blueprint MedTech program is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and administered by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). According to a statement from CraniUS, the award will support engineering, manufacturing, preclinical, and regulatory activities needed before clinical evaluation.
Although recurrent GBM is the lead indication, the company stated that NeuroPASS is being developed as a broader central nervous system drug delivery platform for potential use with therapies requiring direct brain access.
Source
CraniUS Therapeutics. NIH awards up to $4 million to CraniUS Therapeutics to advance skull-embedded platform designed to bypass the blood-brain barrier. PR Newswire. Published June 29, 2026. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nih-awards-up-to-4-million-to-cranius-therapeutics-to-advance-skull-embedded-platform-designed-to-bypass-the-blood-brain-barrier-302812103.html