March 25, 2021
Leyden Labs to Unlock a New Generation of Preventative Medicines against Known and Future Viruses by Securing a €40 Million Series A from GV (formerly Google Ventures), F-Prime and Casdin Capital
Funding to advance platform and portfolio of intranasal products that protect against a broad range of respiratory viruses, including influenza and coronaviruses, to let people live their lives freely
AMSTERDAM and BOSTON – March 25, 2021 – Leyden Laboratories B.V., (the "Company" or "Leyden Labs") a company targeting commonalities of viral families to protect humanity from known and future viruses, today announced the closing of a €40 Million Series A financing led by GV (formerly Google Ventures), with participation from F-Prime Capital, Casdin Capital, LLC and Brook Byers. Concurrent with the financing, David Schenkein, M.D., general partner at GV, and Stephen Knight, M.D., president and managing partner at F-Prime, will join the board of directors. The proceeds will be used to further develop the Leyden Labs’ platform and portfolio of product candidates and to build out the team.
The world was caught off guard when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and severely constrained people’s ability to live their lives to the fullest. While existing reactive efforts to control and contain viruses are crucial they are insufficient, especially as viruses evolve into new variants. Similarly, the likelihood of future outbreaks is high given the millions of viruses harbored in nature. As it is impossible to know which virus will erupt when or where, the world needs to be ready for all.
Leyden Labs’ proactive approach utilizes its platform to target commonalities of viral families to protect against many viruses simultaneously as opposed to vaccines that typically protect against a specific virus variant. Its intranasal product candidates (e.g. nasal sprays) will be self-administerable, providing people with the freedom to protect themselves instantaneously from infection and prevent transmission.
“The speed of development of vaccines during the current pandemic has been impressive, but major global health and economic challenges are evident. If we can develop products that provide immediate protection against existing, mutating and new viruses, we can prevent future pandemics, fight existing ones, and help people strive for a fantastic life,” said Koenraad Wiedhaup, one of the founders and CEO of Leyden Labs. “We pursue this critical and ambitious mission with a great team of seasoned and curious biotech leaders and scientists.”
The other founders of Leyden Labs are the chief scientific officer Jaap Goudsmit and biotech entrepreneurs Ronald Brus and Dinko Valerio (executive chair). They formed the previous Crucell team that created the AdVac and PER.C6 platforms. Crucell and the platforms were acquired by Johnson & Johnson and are now at the basis of the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. The founding team is joined by a closely involved board of biotechnology leaders including John C. Martin, Onno van de Stolpe, James Shannon and Richard J. Whitley.
Dr. David Schenkein, general partner at GV added, “The Leyden Labs’ leadership team includes world- renowned virologists and industry veterans who bring substantial relevant experience to establish and advance a powerful portfolio of intranasal products. The company is well-positioned to leverage its platform to free people from the burden of respiratory viral pandemics and I look forward to working together to achieve this goal.”
About Leyden Laboratories B.V.
Leyden Labs aims to help people live their lives to the fullest. Its platform targets commonalities of viral families to protect humanity from known and future viruses. Its portfolio of accessible intranasal product candidates may provide people with the freedom to immediately protect themselves from and prevent the spread of many strains of respiratory viruses, including ones in the influenza and coronavirus families. The Company’s energetic team of world-renown biotechnology veterans and fresh talent is dedicated to thinking differently to free humanity from the burden of respiratory viruses. To learn more, visit www.leydenlabs.com.
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Corporate Contact:
Leyden Laboratories B.V.
[email protected]
Media Contact:
Meredith Sosulski, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
+1-929-469-3851
[email protected]
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