Thyreos, a member of Bio Nebraska, announced that it has closed a $1 million series seed b round of financing and has been awarded a $1.6 million Small Business Technology Transfer Fast-Track grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the development of an HSV-2 vaccine.
Announcement from Thyreos
Vaccine startup Thyreos Inc. has closed a $1 million series seed b round of financing and has been awarded a $1.6 million Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Fast-Track grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for preclinical development and study of an HSV-2 non-neuroinvasive live-attenuated vaccine based on Thyreos R2® technology. The vaccine will be tested for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in preparation for clinical trials.
HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted infectious (STI) agent responsible for painful symptoms in approximately 15% of the population: millions of people suffer from recurrent symptomatic infections. The virus can also transmit to neonates during birth, which can result in long-term neurologic deficits and be life threatening.
Thyreos R2® technology represents a unique approach to HSV-2 vaccine design. By selectively removing their hallmark neuroinvasive potential, Thyreos R2® herpesvirus vaccines are designed to provide uncompromised protection of the nervous system from virus invasion and the subsequent establishment of life-long latent infections.
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program at NIH NIAID awards competitive federal research grants to small businesses working with university partners to commercialize technology derived from research at U.S. universities. The NIH Fast-Track recognition is given to scientifically meritorious projects that have a high potential for commercialization and adds support to progress research and development to preclinical testing.