Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Acquisition of Preclinical Infectious Disease Portfolio
Friday, February 03, 2023
Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced an agreement whereby Tonix will acquired all of the assets of Healion Bio, Inc. (Healion) including its entire portfolio of next-generation antiviral technology assets.
The Acquired Portfolio of Infectious Disease Assets includes a Class of Potential Broad Spectrum Oral Antiviral Agents, TNX-3900 with a Host-Directed Mechanism.
Tonix Plans to Develop the TNX-3900 Series of Molecules as Oral Antivirals Either as Monotherapy or in Combination with Other Antivirals
The TNX-3900 Class of Antivirals has a novel mechanism of action based on inhibition of certain cathepsin proteases required for cell infection by many viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
Healion’s drug portfolio includes a class of broad-spectrum small molecule oral antiviral drug candidates with a novel host-directed mechanism of action. Host-directed antivirals modulate human cells and tissues and are different from direct-acting antivirals which inhibit virus proteins and processes. Tonix’s TNX-3900, formerly known as HB-121, are cathepsin protease inhibitors, some having strong activity in vitro against SARS-CoV-2.
