The European Investment Bank has signed a €30 million financing agreement with Ethris under HERA Invest to advance further clinical development of the Munich company’s respiratory mRNA portfolio. The announcement was made with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA).
Ethris is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing RNA therapeutics and vaccines delivered to the respiratory tract. Capital will support programmes including lead candidate ETH47, an mRNA product encoding interferon lambda designed for local airway use in asthma and COPD, as well as ETH52 and ETH53 focused on mucosal influenza vaccines and pandemic preparedness. ETH47 is in a Phase 2a trial in asthma patients, with the financing intended to support progression into Phase 2b in asthma and COPD.
Carsten Rudolph, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Ethris, said the HERA Invest financing would help provide further clinical proof of concept for an approach that activates innate immune response rather than targeting specific viral proteins.
Nicola Beer, European Investment Bank Vice President, said the bank was supporting Ethris as it advances European mRNA innovation towards patients, and that cooperation with HERA strengthens Europe’s preparedness for future health threats.
HERA Invest is a €130 million top-up to the InvestEU programme financed by EU4Health, aimed at clinical-stage companies developing medical countermeasures for cross-border health threats.
The EIB’s project listing for Ethris describes the financing as venture debt under the bank’s Venture Debt Instrument for research, development and innovation, with an approximate total project cost of €91 million.
The signing ceremony was held at Ethris’ headquarters in Munich.