mRNA specalist Ethris raises $26m in Series B financing

Ethris said it will use the proceeds  to advance its preclinical ETH47 program, a mRNA encoding type III interferon, that is designed to fight off viral respiratory infections. Furthermore, the company wants to put money into its ETH42 program, a mRNA blueprint for synthesizing the CCDC40 protein that is defective in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).

Additionally, the company said it will push its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. Last spring, Ethris signed a collaboration agreement with Swiss Neurimmune AG to develop ETH46, a nasally inhaled mRNA encoding a therapeutic antibody targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Ethris has received €15m from the German Research Ministry to push clinical development of this candidate drug.