Altasciences chosen by Virpax to support the development of a new drug to prevent the spread of flu-like viruses

LAVAL, Quebec–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Altasciences is pleased to have been selected by Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRPX) («Virpax»), a company specializing in the development of non-addictive products for pain management, PTSD, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and viral barrier indications, to conduct preclinical studies in support of its development of quaternary ammonium palmitoyl glycol chitosan (under the brand name AnQlar™). AnQlar is a nanoparticle designed to help prevent the spread of negatively charged viruses, such as COVID-19 and influenza, via intranasal spray, and has been shown to inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate at non-toxic concentrations.

The project, which has been in development since 2022, has already completed safety evaluations using intranasal administration at Altasciences’ preclinical site in Columbia, Missouri. A cardiovascular study was also conducted at Altasciences’ preclinical site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The analysis of bioanalytical samples for GLP studies is currently underway. «We are very pleased to be working with Virpax again and are satisfied with the progress our studies have made. The final step in this program will be an analysis of bioanalytical samples. The IND application will be complete once the samples have been validated,», says Kyle Klepner, principal scientist and study director, Safety Assessment, Altasciences.

Steve Mason, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Altasciences: «The development of AnQlar as a treatment could represent a huge leap forward in preventing the spread of influenza and related viruses. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Virpax in the near future.».

Dr. Sheila Mathias, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Virpax, also commented on the project, saying: «Our work with Altasciences over the past year has been both extremely productive and rewarding, yielding tangible results, and the non-clinical support provided has been essential to ensuring the progress of this project.».

About Altasciences

Altasciences is a company that provides integrated drug development solutions by offering pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies a proven and flexible approach to preclinical and clinical pharmacology studies, including formulation, manufacturing, and analytical services. For more than 25 years, Altasciences has partnered with sponsors to facilitate informed, faster, and more comprehensive decisions in early-stage drug development. Altasciences’ integrated and comprehensive solutions—all of which can be customized to meet sponsors’ specific requirements—include preclinical safety testing, clinical pharmacology and proof-of-concept studies, bioanalysis, program management, medical writing, biostatistics, clinical monitoring, and data management. Altasciences helps sponsors deliver better medicines faster to the people who need them. For more information about Altasciences, visit altasciences.com.

About Virpax

Virpax develops non-addictive pain management drug candidates using its proprietary technologies to optimize and target drug delivery. Virpax is initially seeking FDA approval for two prescription drug candidates based on two patented drug delivery platforms. Probudur™, a single-injection liposomal bupivacaine formulation currently in development to manage postoperative pain, and Envelta™, an intranasal molecularly encapsulated enkephalin formulation currently in development to manage acute and chronic pain, including cancer-related pain.

Virpax is also using its MET intranasal molecular encapsulation technology to develop two other product candidates. PES200, a product candidate developed to treat PTSD, and NobrXiol™, a product candidate currently in development for the nasal administration of pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of rare pediatric epilepsy.

Having recently acquired global rights to NobrXiol, Virpax has entered into collaborative R&D agreements for its three prescription drug candidates—two with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and one with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Virpax is currently seeking approval for two over-the-counter products: AnQlar, which is being developed to inhibit viral replication caused by influenza or SARS-CoV-2, and Epoladerm™, a topical film-coating formulation of diclofenac currently in development to manage pain associated with osteoarthritis.

For more information, visit virpaxpharma.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Contact

Julie-Ann Cabana

Altasciences
+1 514 601-9763

[email protected]

Virpax, Media Relations:
Robert Cavosi

RooneyPartners

[email protected]
(646) 638-9891