This company develops small molecule antiviral drugs targeting infections caused by HPV, herpes viruses, HIV, and animal retroviruses. Their medicinal chemistry platform aims to create direct-acting antivirals, helping patients recover from viral diseases.
Funding
$53M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
BCFounders
Product
Problem
Persistent high-risk HPV infections and pre-cancerous cervical lesions (CIN 2,3) lack approved therapeutic options, often requiring invasive surgical procedures that can negatively impact women's reproductive health. The current standard of care involves a "wait and see" approach, which can be burdensome, costly, and cause psychological distress for patients. This lack of effective treatment contributes to significant morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer, particularly in underserved populations with limited access to screening and treatment.
Solution
Antiva Biosciences is developing ABI-2280, a novel, topical antiviral therapeutic designed to treat persistent high-risk HPV infections and CIN 2,3 lesions before they progress to invasive cervical cancer. ABI-2280 utilizes a lipophilic prodrug chemistry, enabling self-administration by patients in the privacy of their homes via an intravaginal insert. The drug works by inhibiting human intracellular DNA polymerases used by all HPV types for viral replication, inducing apoptosis of infected cells while sparing normal cells. By targeting human DNA polymerases rather than specific viral proteins, ABI-2280 demonstrates broad activity against diverse HPV subtypes and is expected to be effective in all stages of HPV-associated disease, even in immunocompromised patients. This approach offers a non-surgical alternative that preserves women's reproductive health and improves access to treatment worldwide.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes women diagnosed with persistent high-risk HPV infections or pre-cancerous cervical lesions (CIN 2,3), as well as healthcare providers seeking non-surgical treatment options that preserve reproductive health.
Features
- Topical intravaginal insert for self-administration, improving patient convenience and access to treatment.
- Lipophilic prodrug chemistry enhances drug uptake into epithelial cells with limited systemic bioavailability, reducing toxicity.
- Dual anti-proliferative and anti-viral mechanism of action directly inhibits human intracellular DNA polymerases used by all HPV types.
- Induces apoptosis of HPV-infected cells while sparing quiescent, HPV-uninfected normal cells.
- Broad activity against diverse HPV subtypes, potentially effective in all stages of HPV-associated disease.
- Designed to be effective in immunocompromised HIV-infected patients.
- Currently in Phase 1b/2 clinical trials for both persistent high-risk HPV infection and CIN 2,3.