Following its launch and series A round closing in March last year, Aerium Therapeutics, a company focused on developing antiviral therapeutics for COVID-19 and emerging viral threats, is now operational. It has licensed and begun the development of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with broad and potent activity against the predominant variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Vaccines against COVID-19 have prevented millions of illnesses and deaths, but their benefit is uncertain for the estimated 3 to 6 percent of the population who are immunocompromised and may not mount an adequate immune response to vaccination. Monoclonal antibodies can protect immunocompromised persons from severe COVID-19; however, viral evolution has rendered previous mAbs ineffective, and no prophylactic or therapeutic mAbs are currently available in the U.S.
In response to this challenge, Aerium Therapeutics, a Boston and Lausanne-based startup dedicated to discovering and developing novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antiviral treatments against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and its variants, as well as future epidemic and pandemic threats. Aerium Therapeutics was founded and funded by Omega Funds and F-Prime Capital in 2021.
With the in-licensing of new monoclonal antibodies from three leading research institutions, Aerium entered the operational phase. The new drug candidates are:
- AER003 was discovered by Craig Fenwick and Giuseppe Pantaleo at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and characterized with the assistance of Didier Trono at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The mAb binds to the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 at most of the same points as the ACE2 receptor, providing a high barrier to virus escape. [Link to research paper here.]
- AER004 was discovered by Michel Nussenzweig at Rockefeller University and also blocks the RBD in a complementary manner to AER003. [Link to research paper here.]
- AER005 was discovered by Julie Overbaugh at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and targets a novel, highly conserved region of the virus outside of the RBD. [Link to research paper here.]
The startup is pursuing a mAb combination strategy to defend against future viral evolution. Aerium’s lead program is AER800, a combination product comprised of AER003 and AER004 that covers nearly all of the ACE2 binding sites of the RBD. Aerium is also initiating the development of AER005 for potential inclusion in a future product. The mAbs have been modified to provide long-acting protection and exhibit potent and consistent activity against all previous and predominantly circulating variants.
To advance its pipeline, Aerium is continually testing its mAbs against emerging variants and identifying new mAb candidates to address future variants, intending to provide lasting protection for immunocompromised persons.
(Press release/RAN)
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