InvisiShield Technologies Ltd., a pre-clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing intranasal preventives for major disease-causing respiratory viruses, announced a collaboration with Gladstone Institutes to develop intranasal preventatives against airborne infection, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Gladstone Institutes, a non-profit biomedical research organization that uses visionary science and technology to overcome disease, will leverage its expertise in immunology and virology to support the collaboration. Gladstone has made significant contributions to better understanding and developing new therapies for a range of viral diseases, including HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.
The collaboration aims to develop intranasal preventatives that can protect individuals from viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as influenza and RSV. Intranasal preventatives have the potential to serve as an immediate line of defense against viral infections, irrespective of an individual’s vaccination or immune system status, by targeting the nose and upper respiratory tract where most infections originate.
Under the terms of the collaboration, InvisiShield will provide funding and technical support for the development of intranasal preventatives, while Gladstone scientists will conduct preclinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the product, including in its state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility where live virus tests can be conducted.
“We are excited to be collaborating with Gladstone to develop intranasal preventatives for three of the most important respiratory viral infections, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV,” said Dr. Warner Greene, President, Chief Scientific Officer, and Co-Founder of InvisiShield. “By combining our expertise in biotechnology with Gladstone’s strengths in immunology and virology, we hope to quicken the pace of discovery and development of preventatives for these global infectious threats.”
“By joining our expertise and resources in immunology and virology with InvisiShield’s innovative ‘capture and kill’ technology, we are well positioned to create a novel and powerful tool in the fight against viral infections,” said Dr. Melanie Ott, Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Chair of InvisiShield’s Scientific Advisory Board.
InvisiShield Technologies and Gladstone are committed to advancing medical research and addressing unmet medical needs. This collaboration is expected to yield new approaches to disease prevention that are safe, effective, and easy to administer.