XAV-19: the biotech Xenothera is working on an innovative therapy against Coronavirus

Xenothera is developing a new antibody-based treatment of animal origin to heal Covid-19 and other coronaviruses. The Nantes-based biotechnology company is aiming to raise €3 million to produce its firsts XAV-19 antibodies mix and quickly start clinical trials.

Created in Nantes in June 2014 by eight scientists, Xenothera is directed by researcher Odile Duvaux. The company specializes in innovative biological drugs in the field of immunology and developed a treatment to prevent transplant rejection, LIS1. 

Polyclonal animal antibodies to fight Covid-19

When attacked by a virus, the body defends itself by producing antibodies. However, they may not be sufficient due to the patient’s state of health or the nature of the disease. Sometimes, the immune system can even be perturbed by the virus and accelerate the progression of the infection.

It is possible to collect and “clean” the antibodies produced by a cured patient, allowing them to be reinjected into a sick patient. The downside is that the process is long and does not allow mass treatments to be produced. Xenothera therefore works on glyco-humanized polyclonal antibodies of animal origin (from pigs). The company obtained promising results to fight the Ebola virus and believes it can now adapt its solution to cure Covid-19 and other coronaviruses.

A few months before clinical trials

Xenothera has announced that it needs €3 million to produce the first lots, and the public investment bank Bpifrance has already validated the payment of a subsidy to start the research. The company is able to finalize its product called XAV-19 in a few months or even weeks. Recognized by French authorities as a strategic anti-Covid-19 project, it will be able to undergo clinical trials as soon as it is completed.