Biopharmaceutical company Osivax has successfully secured €10 million in the first close of its Series B financing round, strengthening its position in the development of broad-spectrum vaccines against mutating respiratory viruses. The funding round welcomes strategic investor Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd, a renowned Japanese pharmaceutical company with over 75 years of expertise in infectious diseases and vaccine development.
The new capital injection, combined with non-diluted funding, will primarily support the advancement of OVX836, the company's leading broad-spectrum influenza vaccine candidate. A significant portion of the funding will be allocated to a comprehensive Phase 2b field efficacy study (NCT05569239), which aims to evaluate OVX836 against placebo across a diverse cohort of 2,850 participants at multiple international sites.
Strategic Partnership Enhances Development Capabilities
The investment from Meiji Seika Pharma, a subsidiary of the Meiji Group, brings valuable expertise in vaccine development and commercialization to Osivax's program. This strategic alignment reinforces the company's mission to revolutionize respiratory virus prevention through innovative vaccine technology.
"This funding is a strong endorsement of our technology, our team and our vision to develop broad-spectrum influenza vaccine candidates," said Alexandre Le Vert, CEO and Co-Founder of Osivax. "We are gaining significant momentum in advancing Osivax's development strategy, and we are thrilled to welcome Meiji Seika Pharma as a new investor."
Innovative Technology Platform
At the core of Osivax's approach is its proprietary oligoDOM™ platform, a novel self-assembling nanoparticle technology designed to generate comprehensive immune responses. The platform aims to stimulate both superior T-cell responses and strong, sustained B-cell responses, potentially offering more complete protection against respiratory viruses.
Clinical Progress and Future Directions
The company's lead candidate, OVX836, has already demonstrated encouraging efficacy data in clinical trials, with over 1,200 volunteers tested to date. Beyond influenza, Osivax has set ambitious goals to develop a pan-respiratory virus vaccine that could potentially protect against all influenza strains and COVID-19 variants in a single shot.
The successful funding round positions Osivax to expand its research into other infectious disease indications through strategic combinations and global collaborations, potentially transforming the landscape of respiratory virus prevention.
