The European Commission and the European Investment Bank have signed a €30 million investment agreement with biotechnology company Ethris to support the clinical development of next-generation mRNA therapeutics and vaccines targeting respiratory viruses.
The funding is intended to back treatments and vaccines aimed at respiratory viruses, including those with pandemic potential, the Commission announced on Friday.
Ethris is developing products designed to be given by inhalation or nasal spray, which would deliver the medicine through the airways where many respiratory viruses enter the body.
“The images of COVID must never fade from our memory: overwhelmed hospitals, empty streets, families kept apart,” Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said.
“We are investing in a new generation of vaccines and treatments that can save lives before an outbreak becomes a crisis,” she added.
What is HERA Invest?
The investment is being made through HERA Invest, a scheme set up to support health emergency preparedness and to back small and mid-sized companies.
HERA Invest is backed by €130 million from the EU4Health programme under the InvestEU initiative.
The European Investment Bank provides venture loans covering up to 50% of a project’s costs under the scheme.
