Ethris and EIB sign €30M financing under HERA Invest to advance further clinical development of broad-spectrum nasal antiviral
- Funding will support Ethris in the development of its portfolio of respiratory mRNA products for chronic respiratory diseases and pandemic preparedness.
- EIB’s financing is backed up by DG HERA, as part of the European Commission’s action on health emergency preparedness and response.
- ETH47 – Ethris’ lead antiviral candidate – boosts localized airway immune defenses against viral respiratory infections by encoding interferon lambda (IFNλ).
MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ethris GmbH, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next-generation RNA therapeutics and vaccines, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA), announced today a €30 million financing agreement to advance further clinical development of Ethris’ portfolio of respiratory mRNA products. This includes the company’s lead mRNA-based candidate, ETH47, focusing on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as additional programmes, notably ETH52 and ETH53, focusing on mucosal influenza vaccines and pandemic preparedness. The signing ceremony took place today at Ethris’ headquarters in Munich.
ETH47 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2a trial for its antiviral activity in patients with asthma and is planned to be evaluated in COPD patients, knowing that viral infections are major triggers of asthma and COPD exacerbation and are not addressed by current treatments. The financing will support advancing ETH47 into Phase 2b trials in patients with asthma and COPD.
“EIB’s financing under HERA Invest will enable us to provide further clinical proof of concept of our novel approach targeting viral threats at the point of entry,” said Carsten Rudolph, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ethris. “ETH47 is designed to activate the body’s natural innate immune response rather than targeting specific viral proteins, giving it broad potential antiviral activity against a multitude of viral families. We believe this platform has the potential to improve lives not only through prevention of exacerbations in chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, but also by preventing viral transmission, offering a promising approach to pandemic preparedness.”
Nicola Beer, European Investment Bank Vice President, commented, “The EIB is proud to support Ethris as it advances a promising European mRNA innovation from the laboratory towards patients. ETH47 could offer a new, locally administered approach to virus-driven asthma and COPD exacerbations, while its nasal-spray development offers the potential for non-invasive administration, subject to clinical and regulatory success. Through our cooperation with HERA, this financing contributes to strengthening Europe’s preparedness for future health threats. This investment also demonstrates our broader commitment to strengthening Europe’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology ecosystem, supporting health innovation, resilience and pandemic preparedness.”
Laurent Muschel, Deputy Head of DG HERA, added, “Today’s HERA Invest agreement will support a company that has built on multiple innovative elements for the development of vaccine and therapeutic candidates in parallel. It has unlocked the potential of mRNA technologies, making it more stable and easier to administer. It is developing products that can be administered intranasally, allowing a local response at the pathogen entry site. It is also proposing to fight the infectious agents with a therapeutic targeting the host system rather than the pathogen directly, which may allow to fight several virus families rather than focusing on one pathogen at a time. Today, the development of vaccines and antivirals remains more important than ever to fight emerging threats. Our investment is part of this answer.”
About ETH47
ETH47 is Ethris’ first-in-class mRNA-based product candidate encoding interferon lambda (IFNλ), developed using the company’s Stabilized Non-Immunogenic mRNA (SNIM®RNA) platform and designed to be administered locally to the respiratory tract through inhalation or nasal spray using Ethris’ proprietary Stabilized NanoParticle (SNaP®) LNP platform. ETH47 is meant to induce a mucosal innate immune defense response at virus entry sites as well as inhibit viral replication. Its versatile, virus- and mutation-independent mode of action has the potential to broadly address seasonal and emerging respiratory virus infections, including virus-driven exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD.
About the European Investment Bank (EIB)
The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Germany owns approximately an 18.8% share of the EIB. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals and national priorities. More than 90% of its activity is in Europe.
About the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA)
DG HERA’s mission is to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to cross-border health emergencies in the European Union. DG HERA’s actions focus on ensuring the development, manufacturing, procurement, and equitable distribution of the required key medical countermeasures.
About the HERA Invest mechanism
HERA Invest is a €130 million top-up to the InvestEU programme; it is financed by the EU4Health programme and aims to support R&D in the most pressing cross-border health threats.
The HERA Invest funding instrument is intended for small and mid-sized companies that develop (at the clinical trial stage) and manufacture medical countermeasures addressing one of the following health threats:
- pathogens with pandemic or epidemic potential;
- chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats originating from accidental or deliberate release;
- antimicrobial resistance;
- vector-borne diseases.
About Ethris
Ethris, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has paved a new path from genes to therapeutic proteins, using its proprietary RNA and lipidoid nanoparticle technology platform to discover, design and develop innovative therapies. With more than a decade as an mRNA pioneer, Ethris is a global leader in delivering stabilized mRNAs directly to the respiratory system via optimized formulation and nebulisation technologies. The company is rapidly advancing its mRNA pipeline of immuno-modulation, protein replacement therapies, and differentiated vaccines, with the ultimate goal of improving patients’ lives.
For more information, visit www.ethris.com
Contacts
Ethris Contact:
Dr. Philipp Schreppel
+49 89 244 153 042
philipp.schreppel@ethris.com
Ethris Media Contact:
Monica Rouco Molina
mroucomolina@lifescicomms.com
LifeSci Communications
EIB Media Contact:
Richard Willis
+352 621555758
r.willis@eib.org
DG HERA Media Contact:
Darragh Cassidy
+32 229 83978
darragh.cassidy@ec.europa.eu
