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FREDERICK, Md., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Healion Bio, a closely held biotechnology company, today announced a collaborative agreement to research a combination antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 and other deadly pathogens. The combination will include one of Healion Bio’s protease inhibitors and Favipiravir (its trade name, Avigan), an antiviral drug developed by FUJIFILM Toyama Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Dr. Sina Bavari, co-founder of Healion Bio, noted “Highly contagious pathogens can rarely be stopped by testing, vaccines, and hospital therapeutics alone. The DoD developed the concept of a layered defense, and the critical drugs to have on hand are oral antivirals and post exposure prophylaxis that can be administered in the community to halt outbreaks.” Dr. Bavari has worked extensively with Favipiravir when he was the chief science officer of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the DoD’s tip of the spear in developing countermeasures to viral threats.
Dr. Furuta Yosuke, the inventor of Favipiravir, was enthusiastic “Our research team sees a great potential to expand antiviral therapeutics through this program.” Simon Newman, co-founder, and CEO of Healion Bio added, “As SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate, we will need more drugs than just Molnupiravir, Paxlovid and MPro inhibitors. We are working with FUJIFILM Toyama to benefit from their decades of experience in oral antivirals.” Dr. Bavari observed, “the best antiviral drugs are always synergistic combinations that reduce the risk of viral resistance and are designed to work against multiple indications such as coronaviruses, influenza and filoviruses.”
About FUJIFILM
FUJIFILM Toyama Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation. FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, is one of the major operating companies of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, a global 500 business with revenues of over $21 Billion. The company brings cutting edge solutions and core technologies to various fields including healthcare, graphic systems, functional materials, optical devices, digital imaging, and document products. For more information, please visit: holdings.fujifilm.com
About Healion Bio
Healion Bio, Inc., Frederick, MD, is a biotechnology development company developing the next generation of antiviral compounds. The company has two antiviral platforms: the HB-100 series of protease inhibitors, as well as the HB-200/300 series of next generation antiviral biologics. The HB-100 series is a first in class antiviral with an orthogonal mechanism of action to existing drugs. For more information, please visit: www.healiobio.com
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