The European Investment Bank (EIB) is giving €20 million to Dutch biotech company Leyden Laboratories to help develop nasal sprays that fight viral infections. The money will go toward the company’s main product, PanFlu, a spray meant to protect against different types of flu, including bird flu.
The funding comes through HERA Invest, a European Commission program with €110 million set aside for pandemic preparedness. EIB Vice President Robert de Groot said COVID-19 taught Europe it needs to get better at handling health crises and backing companies that can develop new treatments.
Leyden Labs works differently than vaccine makers. Instead of shots that work through the bloodstream, their nasal sprays put antibodies right where viruses enter—the nose and throat. This method should keep working even when viruses change, and it might help people whose immune systems are too weak to respond to regular vaccines.
The company hopes its approach will stop viruses before they spread through the body, rather than waiting for the immune system to fight back.
“Technological innovations from companies like Leyden Labs are key for European competitiveness and the well-being of our society,” de Groot said.
The €20 million will help Leyden Labs run more tests and get closer to putting these treatments on the market, as Europe tries to be ready for the next health emergency.
