Founded on discoveries made at Princeton, Evrys Bio is developing broad-spectrum antiviral treatments that engage the body’s natural defenses against infection. The approach elicits the infection-fighting powers of human proteins called sirtuins, whose interactions with broad virus-types were discovered by Thomas Shenk, Princeton’s James A. Elkins Jr. Professor in the Life Sciences, and Ileana Cristea, professor of molecular biology.
Many viral diseases have no cure, and most existing antivirals and vaccines can target only one type of virus. Evrys Bio’s broad-spectrum agents address multiple viruses using the body’s own immune proteins in a way that provides a high barrier to the development of drug resistance.
Headquartered in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the company was founded in 2013 as FORGE Life Science and changed its name to Evrys Bio (to emphasize the treatment of not just one virus but every virus) in 2019. The company has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Defense small business programs. The company recently reported that their lead candidate is effective as an antiviral in animal models, and that they are exploring using sirtuins to fight cancer.
The company’s first product, entering preclinical development this year, will address viral infections that threaten transplant patients. The company intends to follow with distinct products to address respiratory infections, viral hepatitis and viral encephalitis.
For more information, contact Lillian Chiang, president and CEO, at [email protected].