Eradivir, a biotech firm in the preclinical stage, has created a patent-pending antiviral treatment that quickly and effectively lowers lung viral loads in advanced-stage influenza compared to existing therapies.
A single intranasal dose of EV25, a bispecific small molecule from Eradivir, works faster than the currently accepted treatment, being able to eradicate detectable virus levels within just 24 hours. Moreover, EV25 remains effective for up to 96 hours after infection, providing a broader treatment window than existing options.
A scholarly article entitled “Targeted recruitment of immune effector cells for rapid eradication of influenza virus infections” was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
EV25 was developed using a platform designed by Philip Low, a prominent scientist at Purdue University and a leading figure in the area of Drug Discovery. He is associated with Purdue’s One Health initiative and serves as faculty at both the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research. Low also holds the position of chief scientific officer at Eradivir and is a member of its board.
He shared his immunological innovations with the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for patents to safeguard the intellectual property. The OTC has licensed these innovations to Eradivir for further advancement and commercialization.
Serious threats posed by influenza
According to Imrul Shahriar, a scientist at Eradivir, the influenza virus continues to pose a significant health risk for several reasons. Current FDA-approved medications are effective only if taken early during an influenza infection, and their effectiveness diminishes significantly when used in later stages of the illness.
“This highlights the urgent need for a treatment that can address more severe infections,” he stated. “While people may feel more at ease about the risks of influenza due to their familiarity with it, the reality is that it still leads to tens of millions of illnesses and medical consultations every year in the United States, resulting in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of fatalities.”
Additional factors contributing to the seriousness of influenza include:
- Vaccination coverage is only about 50% in the U.S., and the effectiveness of available vaccines varies between 19% and 60%.
- Current treatments show reduced efficacy against certain flu strains as they evolve.
- Potential pandemic strains, such as the H5N1 bird flu, may mutate sufficiently to spread from animals to humans and potentially from person to person. These strains are now infecting dairy cattle, which can then transmit the virus to humans.
Developing and testing EV25
Shahriar, who recently completed his PhD in Philip Low’s lab, explained that EV25 diminishes viral loads in advanced-stage influenza through two mechanisms.
“It inhibits the viral neuraminidase found on both free viruses and infected cells,” he explained. “Additionally, it helps recruit natural antibodies to combat the virus.”
Shahriar mentioned that studies indicate EV25 reduces the secretion of pro-inflammatory markers and offers better lung protection against virus-induced damage compared to current treatments.
“We believe that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy in one pharmacological solution represents a promising new strategy for tackling more severe forms of influenza virus infection,” he said.
Next development steps
Recently, EV25 received authorization from European and Belgian regulatory bodies to move forward with a Phase 1 human trial expected to conclude early next year. Following this Phase 1 trial, a Phase 2a trial will begin to further assess safety and initiate efficacy evaluation of EV25, with results anticipated by July 2025.
Eradivir at OPTIONS XII
Jeffery Nielsen, Eradivir’s vice president for research and development, shared insights on two of Eradivir’s drug compounds during OPTIONS XII, a global scientific conference on influenza that took place from September 29 to October 2 in Brisbane, Australia.
The poster presentation titled “Ligand-Targeted Immunotherapy for the Rapid Clearance of Influenza Infections” featured data related to EV25 and earned the Best in Clinical Science and Vaccinology award at the conference.
Additionally, an oral presentation on “Novel Ligand-Targeted Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)” provided information about Eradivir’s small-molecule therapy aimed at treating RSV infections across all age groups.
Both EV25 and the RSV therapy are based on the BAiT platform, or Bispecific Antigenic immunoTherapy, created at Purdue.
“It was remarkable to have presentations on both therapies accepted at OPTIONS XII, the leading conference on influenza and respiratory viruses,” Nielsen remarked. “EV25 represents a groundbreaking advancement in its effectiveness compared to current therapies in preclinical models. The RSV medication is equally transformative, as it rapidly clears infections in preclinical settings; there are no existing treatments available for individuals infected with RSV.”
