News

We are proud to announce that the STANDBYME project, led by Andrés Pizzorno, has been selected for the 2025 ANR Jeunes chercheuses – Jeunes chercheurs (JCJC) grant. Congratulations to Andrés and the entire RESPIVIR team for this outstanding achievement! STANDBYME aims to characterize the functional interactions between virus-infected cells and their surrounding “bystander” cells, which shape the pathophysiology and antiviral responses of the human upper respiratory tract. The project...

We are proud to announce the grant of our United States patent 12,285,433 B2, which protects the use of diltiazem as an activator of Interferon-λ (IFN-λ) expression for the prevention and/or treatment of microbial infections in human respiratory epithelia. Our research has shown that diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker currently used to treat angina, induces a broad-spectrum antiviral state in human respiratory epithelia without triggering the inflammation commonly associated with type I a...

We are proud to announce the grant of our European patent EP 4 090 334 B1 which protects the combination of diltiazem and baloxavir marboxil for use in the prevention and/or treatment of influenza virus infections, and representing a significant milestone in our commitment to innovative antiviral strategies.In a context where influenza infections continue to pose serious public health threats —due to the emergence of variants reducing vaccine efficacy and compromising current antiviral tre...

Virnext congratulates AIS Biotech on successfully raising €1.5 million to advance the development of its innovative therapies for infectious diseases. This funding will support the preclinical development of GlycoFlu, their novel drug candidate for influenza, and strengthen their technological platform for sugar-based bioproduction, designed to target additional pathogens. This milestone reflects the confidence of AIS Biotech’s partners and investors in the company’s strategy and technolog...

We will be taking part in the 4th edition of Tech365 Meetings, the 100% online annual event dedicated to innovation and technology transfer, on 1 July 2025! Tech365 provides virnext with the opportunity to discover breakthrough technologies emerging from public research and deeptech, while exploring potential avenues for technological synergies and translational research partnerships. See you on 1 July, for one-to-one virtual meetings....

This study aimed to characterize the infection kinetics and long-term epithelial innate responses to IAV H1N1, RSV-A, and SARS-CoV-2 in a human nasal epithelial model (MucilAir™) cultured at air-liquid interface. Replication, tissue integrity, host gene expression, and epithelium morphology were assessed up to 28 days post-infection (dpi). Our results show that IAV, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 trigger distinct, long-lasting epithelial responses in the absence of immune cells, highlighting virus-specif...

Virnext congratulates VirexpR on the inauguration of its modular biosafety laboratory, IMePOD, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. This new facility enhances their ability to advance research on airborne infectious contamination and indoor air quality across key sectors including transportation, healthcare, pharmaceutical, agri-food and animal husbandry. The inauguration, presided over by Catherine Staron, Vice-President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, brought together academic and indu...

Our mini-review entitled « In vitro models to study viral-induced asthma exacerbation: a short review for a key issue » has been published in Frontiers In Allergy !Asthma is a major health problem worldwide, which can be associated with morbidity and mortality. Respiratory viral infections are one of the most important causes of asthma exacerbation, but the underlying virus-induced mechanisms are incompletely described.To meet this urgent need and develop new efficient therapies, it is neces...

Successful collaboration with Epithelix in the characterization of AlveolAir™, a new primary 3D human alveolar model designed to advance respiratory virus research and antiviral development.The study described an innovative in vitro alveolar co-culture system at the air–liquid interface, developed by Epithelix, which maintains human primary alveolar type I and II epithelial and endothelial cells with a functional barrier for over 30 days.We characterized AlveolAir™ as a relevant system for...

Our study "Host-targeted repurposed diltiazem enhances the antiviral activity of direct acting antivirals against Influenza A virus and SARSCOV2" has been published in Antiviral Research.Influenza and SARSCoV2 infections are major public health threat with recurrent emergence and dissemination of variant strains carrying mutations resulting in suboptimal vaccine protection and/or reduced efficacy of current limited therapeutic arsenal. In this context, host-targeted approaches constitute a promi...