Loren Walensky
Co-Founder
Red Queen Therapeutics
Develops antiviral therapeutics using a stapled lipopeptide platform that inhibits virus-cell fusion, preventing viral entry and accelerating clearance without relying on immune activation. This approach targets enveloped viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and influenza, offering stable, room-temperature formulations for rapid self-administration via nasal spray, inhaler, or injection.
- Biotechnology
Updated 23 months ago
Funding
Raised to date
$60MRaised 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.
Funding rounds are not available yet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current antiviral therapies often rely on immune system activation, which may not be effective for immunocompromised individuals. Many existing antivirals also target specific viruses, limiting their utility against emerging viral variants and other viral families. Furthermore, some antiviral treatments require cold storage and specialized administration, hindering rapid and widespread deployment.
Solution
Red Queen Therapeutics develops antiviral therapeutics based on a stapled lipopeptide platform that inhibits virus-cell fusion, preventing viral entry and accelerating clearance without relying on immune activation. The stapled lipopeptides mimic the HR2 domain, preventing its folding onto HR1 and disrupting the fusion process. This approach targets a core mechanism common to enveloped viruses, offering broad-spectrum potential against entire viral families and minimizing the risk of resistance. The resulting antiviral therapies are designed for convenient self-administration via nasal spray, inhaler, or injection, and maintain stability at room temperature for at least one year, facilitating rapid deployment during outbreaks.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes individuals at high risk of viral infection, such as immunocompromised patients, as well as healthcare providers seeking broad-spectrum antiviral therapies for emerging and seasonal viral diseases.
Features
- Stapled lipopeptide platform that blocks virus-cell fusion, a key entry mechanism for enveloped viruses
- Broad-spectrum activity against multiple viral families, including coronaviruses, influenzas, and RSV
- Mechanism of action that does not rely on immune system activation, making it suitable for immunocompromised patients
- Customizable platform allowing rapid development of new therapies against emerging viral threats
- Room-temperature stability for at least one year, simplifying storage and distribution
- Multiple administration routes, including nasal spray, inhaler, and injection, for convenient self-administration
- Demonstrated accelerated viral clearance in Phase 1 clinical trials for COVID-19 (RQ-01)