Developing Life-Saving Treatments for Respiratory Virus Infections
Our goal is to change the paradigm of treatment of viral infections for those at risk in order to prevent loss of function, hospitalization, or worse.
Altesa is clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new treatments for high-consequence viral infections. Our primary focus is treatment of respiratory infections in people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Over 16 million Americans suffer with COPD, as do hundreds of millions more around the world. Within two decades, many experts predict that COPD will become the leading cause of death globally. It is already one of the greatest financial burdens to families and healthcare systems in every major country.
Our objective is to treat a major underlying cause of COPD exacerbations — that is, viral respiratory infections. By doing so, we hope to prevent the breathlessness and downward health spiral caused by these viruses and lessen the need for costly immune modifying therapies that COPD patients must take for the rest of their lives.
Making the Future Safe from Common Viral Threats
Altesa’s mission is to deliver safe, effective, simple oral antiviral medicines for the right people at the right time to halt the progression of infection before it becomes serious – and prevent costly health and financial consequences.
This strategy extends the proven benefits of real-time testing for flu and COVID-19. Both of these diseases can be effectively treated if diagnosed early. We now have the ability to diagnose these infections rapidly, often in the home, and treat them before they cause serious health impacts.
My number one priority is to improve patients’ lives and empower them to live freely and fully. I am confident that we can develop safe and effective medicines to combat common respiratory viruses just as Altesa’s scientific founders have already done for HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.
Brett Giroir, MD
Chief Executive Officer, Altesa BioSciences
Vapendavir
Vapendavir is a broad-spectrum medicine that prevents the cold virus form entering human cells and prevents the virus from reproducing. It is a drug class called capsid inhibitors, the same class of drug as Science’s 2024 Breakthrough of the Year — a different capsid inhibitor that works against HIV/AIDS.
Vapendavir has a powerful anti-viral activity across 97% of rhinoviruses that infect humans, as well as other respiratory enteroviruses. These are the exact viruses that are a major cause of COPD exacerbations and asthma attacks, and that cause the common cold. It has completed three Phase 2 clinical trails (two in asthma and one in COPD) and is now in advanced stages of clinical development.
Altesa holds the exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Vapendavir.