EnGen Bio is an early stage biotechnology company developing a new approach to preventing and treating all Type A influenza strains—including all flu pandemics.
| SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EnGen Bio is an early stage biotechnology company developing a new approach to preventing and treating all Type A influenza strains—including all flu pandemics. Seasonal flu causes 50,000–250,000 deaths worldwide annually, causing the World Health Organization to declare the development of a universal flu vaccine as an urgent need in its Global Influenza Strategy (2019–2030) report. The unique genetic nature of the influenza virus poses a challenge to researchers focused on influenza treatment and vaccination. To address the problem, EnGen Bio is developing universal vaccines for Type A flu prevention in both the $6B human and $0.5B veterinary markets, as well as an antibody flu treatment with a potential $2B market. If successful, these efforts could eradicate flu pandemics and dramatically limit the global burden of disease from flu. Speaking on the urgent need for vaccines with increased efficacy, EnGen Bio CEO Dr. Mark Alfenito stated, “Seasonal flu kills more than 25,000 people in the US, and between a quarter and half a million people worldwide, every year. Experts, including the CDC, agree that we are extremely vulnerable to a catastrophic global flu pandemic on a scale that could far exceed both COVID-19 and the Spanish flu of 1918.” EnGen Bio has determined how to train the immune system on a newly discovered region of a flu protein to make only protective, neutralizing antibodies. They have shown that a therapeutic antibody to this region binds and neutralizes all strains of the flu virus tested to date. When this epitope was used as a test vaccine, it showed a protective response consistent with universal Type A protection in animals. Their discovery and novel approach should stimulate a truly universal and durable immune response to all Type A influenza strains, potentially allowing for the creation of a human therapeutic antibody and vaccines for both human and veterinary use. Building upon its discovery, EnGen Bio is currently optimizing its approach for a recombinantly manufactured, lyophilized, room temperature stable, subunit vaccine that could be manufactured well in advance of need, and is also not anticipated to contain socially controversial ingredients. EnGen Bio announced their intention to launch a registered crowdfunding campaign in partnership with WeFunder, just as industry trends show unprecedented growth in the biotech and vaccine space. According to the Global Opportunity Analysis & Industry Forecast, the worldwide market for human influenza vaccines is expected to reach $11.4B by 2025. Peak sales of vaccines and therapies could reach an estimated $2.6B in the U.S. alone, offering an exciting opportunity for early investors who wish to support life-saving efforts within the vaccine space. Detailed information on EnGen Bio’s crowdfunding opportunity is available at WeFunder, https://wefunder.com/engenbiollc. For additional information about EnGen Bio and the need for influenza pandemic preparedness, please visit www.engenbio.com.
SOURCE EnGen Bio |
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