Leyden Labs raises €40M to advance nasal antibody sprays against respiratory viruses
What's the deal? Dutch biotech Leyden Labs has raised €40 million in late-stage venture funding to advance its work protecting people against influenza and other respiratory viruses.
Backers include the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Invest-NLDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Gates FoundationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and ClavystBioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, spanning Europe, the US, and Asia.
The company is developing nasal sprays that deliver broadly protective antibodies straight to the respiratory mucosa — the point where airborne viruses enter the body. The aim is to block infection at the gate, even as viruses mutate.
Why now? Respiratory viruses remain a global threat in both seasonal and pandemic situations, and the most vulnerable patients often lack access to protection.
The EIC Fund's share came through its Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), which backs European competitiveness in biotech. The Gates Foundation's investment specifically targets access in low- and middle-income countries.
The company also appointed Ben Verwaayen, a veteran technology executive, to its Supervisory Board.
What could go wrong? Leyden Labs' programs are still moving through clinical development, a long and costly road where biotech candidates often fail.
Proving that nasal antibody sprays work better than systemic vaccines — and scaling them for global access — remains unproven.
The signal: As a late-stage mucosal protection platform, Leyden Labs is drawing impact-focused capital from across Europe, the US, and Asia — from the EIC Fund's STEP scale-up initiative to the Gates Foundation — signalling a bet on prevention at the source rather than treatment after infection. The spread of public health and strategic innovation money also reflects Europe's push to keep breakthrough biotech competitive at home while extending access to low- and middle-income countries.
Read more: finanznachrichten.de
