Benzinga | Jan 27, 2022 06:47AM EST

Aridis Pharmaceuticals Announced Funding to Evaluate Inhaled Monoclonal Antibodies to Block Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 Transmission

Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARDS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel anti-infective therapies to treat life-threatening infections, received a grant award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ('Gates Foundation') to evaluate the application of Aridis' inhaled formulation technology to deliver cost-effective monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against influenza and SARS-CoV2 to people in low- and middle-income countries.

The mAbs will be manufactured using a novel, spirulina-based platform technology developed by Lumen Bioscience, a funding collaborator for this project. Lumen Bio's platform offers the ability to produce therapeutic proteins at a fraction of the cost of conventional mammalian cell line technologies.Aridis' formulation technology enables self-administration of prophylactic and therapeutic antibodies directly to the upper or lower airways of the respiratory tract, enhancing the bioavailability of mAbs to the site where respiratory viruses initially infect, replicate, and shed to disseminate through person-to-person transmissionInhaled, local delivery substantially reduces the dose required to achieve a therapeutic effect against respiratory viruses (by over 100-fold as compared to intravenous or intramuscular injections), thereby reducing the cost of treatmentAridis' formulation technology has demonstrated the ability to stabilize mAbs at room temperature and can be packaged in a compact powder capsule for delivery from disposable dry powder inhalers"We are gratified to receive support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which underscores the importance of applying advanced inhalation technology to combat infection and transmission of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza," said Vu Truong, Ph.D. CEO of Aridis. "The combination of dose sparing achieved by inhaled delivery and algae sourced mAbs has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of antiviral treatment and expand the access of mAbs worldwide," said Truong.