Inhaled mRNA developer Ethris has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA) for a €30 million financing to support clinical development of Ethris orally inhaled and intranasal mRNA products. According to the company, the funds will support development of its lead candidate ETH47 for asthma and COPD as well as ETH52 and ETH53, which are in development for influenza.
Ethris has previously received funding from various EU organizations. In May 2025, Ethris announced that it had received a grant worth €10 million from EU4Health to support development of ETH47. In February 2025, Ethris received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is supporting development of ETH52. Earlier this year, the NOFLU consortium, which is developing ETH53, received funding under the EU4Health program.
In January 2025, Ethris announced results from a Phase 1 study of intranasal ETH47 and said that it planned to advance the nasal vaccine into Phase 2. In August 2025, the company said that it had initiated a Phase 2a challenge study of ETH47 in asthma patients. The company says that funds from the new financing will support Phase 2b trials of ETH47 in asthma and COPD patients.
Ethris CEO Carsten Rudolph commented, “EIB’s financing under HERA Invest will enable us to provide further clinical proof of concept of our novel approach targeting viral threats at the point of entry. ETH47 is designed to activate the body’s natural innate immune response rather than targeting specific viral proteins, giving it broad potential antiviral activity against a multitude of viral families. We believe this platform has the potential to improve lives not only through prevention of exacerbations in chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, but also by preventing viral transmission, offering a promising approach to pandemic preparedness.”
European Investment Bank VP Nicola Beer said, “The EIB is proud to support Ethris as it advances a promising European mRNA innovation from the laboratory towards patients. ETH47 could offer a new, locally administered approach to virus-driven asthma and COPD exacerbations, while its nasal-spray development offers the potential for non-invasive administration, subject to clinical and regulatory success. Through our cooperation with HERA, this financing contributes to strengthening Europe’s preparedness for future health threats. This investment also demonstrates our broader commitment to strengthening Europe’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology ecosystem, supporting health innovation, resilience and pandemic preparedness.”
DG HERA Deputy Head Laurent Muschel added, “Today’s HERA Invest agreement will support a company that has built on multiple innovative elements for the development of vaccine and therapeutic candidates in parallel. It has unlocked the potential of mRNA technologies, making it more stable and easier to administer. It is developing products that can be administered intranasally, allowing a local response at the pathogen entry site. It is also proposing to fight the infectious agents with a therapeutic targeting the host system rather than the pathogen directly, which may allow to fight several virus families rather than focusing on one pathogen at a time. Today, the development of vaccines and antivirals remains more important than ever to fight emerging threats. Our investment is part of this answer.”
Read the Ethris press release
