Atriva Therapeutics GmbH moves into the Innovation and Start-Up Center for Biotechnology (IZB)

• The company works on therapy for severe viral infectious diseases of the respiratory tract

Martinsried near Munich, November 22, 2022 – The Innovation and Start-Up Center for Biotechnology (IZB), one of the leading biotechnology centers in Europe with over 50 biotech start-ups based there, today announced that the Tübingen biotech company Atriva Therapeutics GmbH is moving into the IZB. With additional locations in Tübingen and Frankfurt am Main, Atriva, is pursuing a novel approach to combating known and unknown viral infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, such as COVID-19 and influenza, where host cell proteins rather than the virus are used for therapy. Atriva’s lead product, Zapnometinib (ATR-002), is a first-in-class agent targeting the host, that inhibits viral replication and favorably influences the body’s immune response to RNA viruses. In September, Atriva announced promising top-line results from the Proof of Concept (POC) / Phase 2a study RESPIRE (Zapnometinib) in patients with COVID-19.

“We are delighted to be moving into the IZB, the hot spot for life sciences in Munich. The interdisciplinary exchange with the local network of first-class scientists will support us in our next steps to strengthen Atriva in its pioneering role as an innovator of host cell-based antiviral agents,” says Dr. Rainer Lichtenberger, Managing Director of Atriva Therapeutics. “Our novel approach makes the development of viral resistance unlikely and therefore could even make an important contribution to protection against future pandemics.”

“We warmly welcome Atriva Therapeutics to the IZB. Atriva is pursuing an exciting new approach to the treatment of viral respiratory infections, and we look forward to following the further development of the company here at the IZB,” says Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director of the IZB.

At the beginning of November, Atriva announced the appointment of Christian Pangratz as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective as of January 15, 2023. Dr. Rainer Lichtenberger, co-founder of Atriva Therapeutics, will enter planned retirement in the course of 2023 after many years as CEO. After a transition period during which Dr. Lichtenberger as Co-CEO will hand over his duties, Christian Pangratz will then take over the sole management.

Read the press release issued by IZB here.

About the Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB) in Martinsried near Munich
The Fördergesellschaft IZB, founded in 1995, operates the Innovation and Start-up Centers for Biotechnology in Planegg-Martinsried and Freising-Weihenstephan and has developed into a leading biotechnology center. More than 50 biotech companies with over 700 employees are currently based on 26,000 m². Here, work is being done on developing drugs for the most serious diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and various autoimmune diseases. A key criterion for the success of the IZBs is the physical proximity to cutting-edge research on the Martinsried/Grosshadern campus and the Weihenstephan campus. The new infrastructure measures such as the Faculty Club G2B (Gateway to Biotech), the IZB Residence CAMPUS AT HOME, the Elhardt chemistry college, the two kindergartens Bio Kids and Bio Kids² as well as the two restaurants SEVEN AND MORE and THE BOWL Food Lounge are also location factors that are highly valued by the founders of the company. Successful companies that emerged from the IZB include Corimmun (today Janssen-Cilag), Coriolis, Exosome Diagnostics (bought by Bio-Techn), ibidi, Immunic Therapeutics, Medigene, Micromet (today Amgen), MorphoSys, Octopharma or Rigontec (now MSD). More information at www.izb-online.de

About Atriva Therapeutics

Atriva Therapeutics’ mission is to develop an antiviral therapy platform against severe respiratory and systemic diseases with a high unmet medical need induced by RNA viruses, e.g., influenza and COVID-19. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company is pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies, making development of resistance unlikely, and thereby significantly contributing to pandemic preparedness. The Atriva lead product zapnometinib (ATR-002) is a first-in-class, host-targeting agent that aims to inhibit viral replication and to favorably modulate the body’s immune response to RNA viruses. Eleven patent families with broad international coverage grant protection for the use of MEK inhibitors and other kinase inhibitors for antiviral therapies through 2041. Atriva Therapeutics was founded in 2015 by a team of leading scientists in viral research and seasoned industry experts and is based in Tübingen and Frankfurt, Germany.

Atriva is a founding member of the BEAT-COV initiative. www.beat-cov.de

For further information, please visit www.atriva-therapeutics.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Press contact and image material requests:
Susanne Simon, Head of Press and Public Relations
Innovation and Start-up Center Biotechnology (IZB)
Am Klopferspitz 19, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried,
Phone: +49 (0)89/55 279 48-17, E-mail: simon@izb-online.de;
Website: www.izb-online.de