RIGImmune Announces Acquisition of Antiviral Company Subintro and Concurrent Financing by F-Prime Capital
Summary
Founded by prominent Yale University professors and experts in respiratory drug discovery Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D. and Anna Marie Pyle, Ph.D., RIGImmune has been developing stemloop RNA therapeutics (SLRs) that selectively activate the innate immune sensor RIG-I (Retinoic acid Inducible Gene I). F-Prime Capital has invested in the new company as part of the Subintro acquisition.Joining with the experienced Subintro team will allow us to further advance our development of new treatments, prophylactics and vaccine adjuvants for respiratory diseases caused by RNA viruses, said Susan Sobolov, Ph.D., president of RIGImmune Inc. By combining our stem-loop RNA therapeutics or SLRs with the Subintro antivirals and novel topical delivery systems, we aim to achieve optimal management of viral respiratory diseases.Building on the foundational work of the companys co-founders, RIGImmune has developed a specialized understanding of RIG-I, a cytosolic sensor protein and host surveillance pathway that is essential to the innate immune response to RNA viruses and tumor DNA. The lead SLR development candidate, RIG-101, has demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy and tolerability proof of principle in multiple viral respiratory disease and oncology models. The RIGImmune development candidates act to specifically modulate RIG-I, a host surveillance pathway that triggers the innate immune system to enhance an intrinsic response to RNA viruses, including influenza, RSV, rhinovirus, and SARS-CoV-2, and tumor DNA. She designed the stem-loop RNA therapeutics (SLR) for selective targeting of RIG-I using crystal structure data of RIG-I complexed with RNA and developed them as antitumor and anticancer compounds in collaboration with Dr. Iwasaki, whose expertise in has been highly sought during the COVID-19 pandemic.RIGImmune is a UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) company located in Farmington, CT, was founded by Yale scientists, and has an experienced management team of successful biotech entrepreneurs and world-renowned scientists.