ZS Pharma Inc., a privately-held pharmaceutical company that moved earlier this year from West Lafayette, Ind., to Fort Worth, received a $2 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) today at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

The UNTHSC has a partnership with TECH Fort Worth, a technology incubator that helped bring ZS Pharma to North Texas.

The pharmaceutical company is focused on commercializing oral drugs that help absorb toxins from the body, a function that can be impaired by kidney or liver damage or other diseases.

“Texas continues to lead the nation in the evolving biotechnology industry thanks to an environment that encourages innovation and investments from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund,” Gov. Rick Perry said, in a press release. “This investment in ZS Pharma will help develop a therapy that will provide kidney and liver failure patients with a more effective and less dangerous alternative to current blood cleansing treatments.”

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