EIB and Leyden Labs Secure €20 Million Financing to Advance Pandemic Preparedness with Innovative Nasal Spray

EIB and Leyden Labs Secure €20 Million Financing to Advance Pandemic Preparedness with Innovative Nasal Spray

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €20 million financing deal with Leyden Laboratories to support the development of its innovative pan-influenza nasal spray, which aims to protect against seasonal and pandemic viral infections. The funding, guaranteed by the European Commission’s InvestEU initiative under the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) programme, will accelerate the development of Leyden Labs’ novel, non-vaccine approach to viral protection. This initiative contributes to Europe’s pandemic preparedness and biodefense efforts, focusing on providing early-stage protection for individuals against respiratory viruses.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 3-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Dutch clinical-stage biotechnology company Leyden Laboratories B.V. have entered into a €20 million financing agreement to support the development of Leyden Labs’ innovative non-vaccine approach to protecting against seasonal and pandemic viral infections. This funding, guaranteed by the European Commission’s InvestEU initiative under the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) programme, is part of the EU’s broader efforts to bolster pandemic preparedness, biodefense, and antimicrobial resistance.

Leyden Labs will use the funding to advance its groundbreaking pan-influenza nasal spray (PanFlu), which is currently in clinical development. This nasal spray, which contains broadly protective antibodies, aims to provide first-in-class protection against influenza, including strains such as Avian Flu (H5). The approach is designed to protect at the earliest point of infection—before viruses reach systemic circulation—offering a promising alternative to traditional vaccines.

The venture debt financing is part of the European Commission’s €110 million top-up to the InvestEU programme, known as “HERA Invest,” designed to address critical areas of pandemic readiness and public health defense across Europe. This initiative is funded by the EU4Health programme and aims to support the development of innovative medical solutions that enhance Europe’s ability to respond to health crises.

EIB’s Support for European Health Innovations

EIB Vice President, Robert de Groot, emphasized the importance of strengthening the EU’s preparedness in bio sciences following the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “With the support of the European Commission, the EIB is backing highly innovative EU companies like Leyden Labs, enabling them to grow and thrive in Europe. Technological innovations from companies like Leyden Labs are crucial for European competitiveness and the well-being of society.”

Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, further reinforced the significance of the agreement: “Respiratory viruses are common and affect everyone, particularly the most medically vulnerable. Today’s agreement underscores our commitment to investing in innovations that enhance preparedness and protection against respiratory viruses. HERA Invest exemplifies Europe’s leadership in responding to serious health threats.”

Leyden Labs’ Groundbreaking Approach to Viral Protection

Koenraad Wiedhaup, CEO and co-founder of Leyden Labs, expressed gratitude for the endorsement and support from both HERA and the European Investment Bank: “We are thrilled with this support, which will accelerate our efforts to provide universal protection against viral outbreaks. This collaboration underscores the urgency of investing in initiatives to ensure Europe is prepared for future pandemics, especially given the growing threat of avian influenza.”

Leyden Labs’ nasal sprays, which contain broadly protective antibodies, are designed to provide early-stage protection against viral infections. Unlike traditional vaccines that generate systemic immunity, Leyden Labs’ approach targets the respiratory mucosa—the point of entry for airborne viruses—providing protection before the virus reaches systemic circulation. This intranasal method is particularly beneficial for individuals with weakened immune systems, as it does not rely on the person’s immune system to generate a protective response.

Leyden Labs’ innovative approach is poised to revolutionize how the healthcare system thinks about viral prophylaxis, offering an effective solution for both seasonal outbreaks and pandemic emergencies.

Supporting Europe’s Pandemic Preparedness

The €20 million financing will help Leyden Labs further develop its novel approach to combat respiratory viruses, contributing significantly to the EU’s pandemic preparedness efforts. HERA, which is responsible for ensuring that the EU and Member States are ready to respond to cross-border health threats, sees this investment as a key part of strengthening Europe’s health defense systems.

Background information:

Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA). The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) supports projects that strengthen preparedness and response capacities in the field of health. HERA was established as a direct consequence of the lessons learned from the initial management of the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure a solid Union response to serious-cross border health threats and secure ready availability and accessibility of medical countermeasures. HERA’s responsibility is to ensure that the EU and Member States are ready to act in the face of cross-border health threats, and its mandate covers both the strengthening of preparedness in advance of future emergencies and the implementation of a swift and efficient response once crisis hits.

HERA Invest is a €110 million top-up to the InvestEU programme, funded by the EU4Health programme. It is implemented by the EIB and supports projects that focus on pathogens with pandemic potential, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear threats, and antimicrobial resistance. Together with HERA, the EIB assesses whether an operation meets HERA Invest’s criteria.

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investment for EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments previously available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners who will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The Netherlands owns a 5,2% share of the EIB. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals and national priorities. More than 90% of its activity is in Europe. Over the last ten years, the EIB has made available more than €27 billion in financing for Dutch projects in various sectors, including research & development, sustainable mobility, drinking water, healthcare and SMEs. In 2024 the EIB Group, which also includes the EIB’s subsidiary, the European Investment Fund (EIF), made available more than €3 billion for Dutch projects.

Leyden Laboratories B.V. (Leyden Labs), founded in 2020, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in the Netherlands. Leyden Labs is working to free people from the threat of respiratory viruses, by leveraging its Mucosal Protection Platform to develop a portfolio of candidates aimed at providing protection against influenza, coronaviruses, and other respiratory viruses through a new class of broadly protective nasal sprays. Leyden Labs is supported by a strong syndicate of investors and ambassadors; VC investors include GV (formerly Google Ventures), Casdin Capital, F-Prime Capital, ClavystBio (a life sciences venture investor established by Temasek), Polaris Partners, Qiming Venture Partners, Invus, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Byers Capital / Brook Byers and Bluebird Ventures.To learn more, visit www.leydenlabs.com.

CR9114, Leyden Labs’ lead product candidate for the PanFlu program, is a human monoclonal antibody that protects against influenza in preclinical models. Leyden Labs holds an exclusive license from Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to develop and commercialize CR9114.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank