Leyden Labs secures $70M to advance intranasal antibody therapies

Dutch Leyden Laboratories B.V. has announced the successful closure of a $70 million funding round aimed at advancing its Mucosal Protection Platform. This innovative, non-vaccine approach focuses on intranasally administered, broadly protective antibodies to guard against respiratory viruses like influenza and coronaviruses.

The financing round was co-led by ClavystBio, a life sciences venture investor established by Temasek (headquartered in Singapur and around US$300bn under management), and Polaris Partners, with additional backing from Qiming Venture Partners and existing investors. The Company’s diverse syndicate now includes GV (formerly Google Ventures), Casdin Capital, F-Prime Capital, ClavystBio, Polaris Partners, Qiming Venture Partners, Invus, Byers Capital/Brook Byers, Bluebird Ventures, and Softbank Vision Fund 2.

Proceeds from this funding will enable Leyden Labs to initiate human efficacy studies of its lead candidate PanFlu, a nasal spray containing the monoclonal antibody CR9114, which has demonstrated protection against influenza in preclinical models. “At Leyden Labs, we’re working to stop infections early by delivering antibody-based formulations directly to the nasal mucosa – eliminating the threat of respiratory viruses directly at the very gate through which they enter”, said Koenraad Wiedhaup, co-founder and chief executive officer of Leyden Labs. ” The timing of this fundraising is critical – in light of recent avian flu (H5N1) developments, we feel even more urgency to execute on our mission to protect people against existing and new viruses.” The development aligns with the momentum that vaccine companies have gained recently, following reports of avian flu transmissions and even the first human fatality.

The company also announced its acquisition of CoV Biotechnology Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based biotech company with assets developed by Linfa Wang, a prominent professor of emerging infectious diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School. This strategic move enhances Leyden Labs’ pandemic preparedness efforts and strengthens its collaborative initiatives in Asia.

Leyden Labs also aims to play a significant role in combating avian influenza and other pandemic threats. The company plans to showcase this financing milestone and recent developments at JP Morgan Annual Healthcare Conference this week.