Altasciences Chosen by Virpax to Support the Development of a New Drug to Prevent Spread of Flu-like Viruses
Altasciences is pleased to have been chosen by Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRPX) (“Virpax”), a company specializing in developing non-addictive products for pain management, PTSD, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and viral barrier indications, to conduct preclinical studies in support of their development of quaternary ammonium palmitoyl glycol chitosan (GCPQ, under the trade name of AnQlar™). AnQlar is a nanoparticle intended to help prevent the spread of negatively charged viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza via intranasal spray, and has shown to inhibit the ability of the virus to replicate at non-toxic concentrations.
In development since 2022, the project has so far seen the completion of safety assessment utilizing intranasal administration at Altasciences’ preclinical site in Columbia, MO. A cardiovascular study was also completed at Altasciences’ preclinical facility in Scranton, PA.
Bioanalytical sample analysis for the GLP studies is currently ongoing. “We are very pleased to be working with Virpax again and are satisfied with the trajectory our studies have taken. The final step for this program will be a bioanalytical sample analysis. Once samples are validated, this will conclude the IND package,” said Kyle Klepner, Senior Scientist, Study Director, Safety Assessment, Altasciences.
Steve Mason, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Altasciences, added: “The creation of AnQlar as a treatment, if successful, could be a huge leap forward in preventing the spread of influenza and similar viruses. We look forward to further collaboration with Virpax in the near-future.”
Dr. Sheila Mathias PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Virpax, also said of the project: “Our work with Altasciences over the last year has been both exceedingly productive and rewarding demonstrating tangible results, and the nonclinical support provided has been vital in ensuring the progress of this project. ”
About Altasciences
Altasciences is an integrated drug development solution company offering pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies a proven, flexible approach to preclinical and clinical pharmacology studies, including formulation, manufacturing, and analytical services. For over 25 years, Altasciences has been partnering with sponsors to help support educated, faster, and more complete early drug development decisions. Altasciences’ integrated, full-service solutions include preclinical safety testing, clinical pharmacology and proof of concept, bioanalysis, program management, medical writing, biostatistics, clinical monitoring, and data management, all customizable to specific sponsor requirements. Altasciences helps sponsors get better drugs to the people who need them, faster. To learn more about Altasciences, visit altasciences.com.
About Virpax
Virpax is developing branded, non-addictive pain management products candidates using its proprietary technologies to optimize and target drug delivery. Virpax is initially seeking FDA approval for two prescription drug candidates that employ two different patented drug delivery platforms. Probudur™, a single injection liposomal bupivacaine formulation being developed to manage post-operative pain, and Envelta™, an intranasal molecular envelope enkephalin formulation being developed to manage acute and chronic pain, including pain associated with cancer.
Virpax is also using its intranasal molecular envelope technology (MET) to develop two other product candidates. PES200, is a product candidate being developed to manage PTSD, and NobrXiol™, a product candidate being developed for the nasal delivery of a pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD), for the management of rare pediatric epilepsy.
Having recently acquired global rights to NobrXiol, Virpax has competitive cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) for all three of its prescription drug candidates, two with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and one with the Department of Defense (DOD). Virpax is currently seeking approval of two nonprescription product candidates: AnQlar, which is being developed to inhibit viral replication caused by influenza or SARS-CoV-2, and Epoladerm™, a topical diclofenac spray film formulation being developed to manage pain associated with osteoarthritis.
For more information, please visit virpaxpharma.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230921062012/en/
Contact information
Julie-Ann Cabana
Altasciences
+1 514 601-9763
jcabana@altasciences.com
Virpax Media:
Robert Cavosi
RooneyPartners
rcavosi@rooneypartners.com
(646) 638-9891
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
OAG Appoints ex-Skyscanner Executive Filip Filipov as New Chief Executive Officer16.12.2025 18:00:00 EET | Press release
OAG announces today the appointment of Filip Filipov, ex-Skyscanner executive, as new Chief Executive Officer. Filip Filipov currently serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and takes over from Phil Callow who has chosen to step down having completed thirteen transformational years at the helm of OAG to pursue his many other interests. Since joining in 2024, Filipovhas played a leading role in the company’s ambitious next phase of growth and ongoing acceleration. He will now lead OAG into a new era defined by advanced data products and AI-driven intelligence. Before joining OAG, Filipov held senior roles in travel technology and big-data consulting, including on Skyscanner’s executive team. Filip Filipov said: “It’s a privilege to step into this role and lead a company with such a strong heritage and reputation. I’m excited for what’s ahead and committed to serving our customers with the reliability, service, and innovation they depend on.” Chairman of OAG, Gehan Talwatte, com
Xsolla Integrates SPENN in Rwanda and Zambia Giving Developers Access to a Strong Consumer-Merchant Ecosystem16.12.2025 17:49:00 EET | Press release
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announced that it has added SPENN to its payments solution portfolio in Rwanda and Zambia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216303338/en/ Xsolla Integrates SPENN In Rwanda And Zambia Giving Developers Access To A Strong Consumer-Merchant Ecosystem Both Rwanda and Zambia are mobile-first, wallet-led economies where mobile money drives financial inclusion and rapid growth in digital transactions. Reports found that approximately 86% of Rwandan adults own or have used mobile money. As of mid-2024, mobile money transaction volumes in Zambia increased by 44% to 1.4 billion transactions from mid-2023. By adding SPENN as a payment method to its portfolio, Xsolla enables players to continue paying seamlessly in a way they are already familiar with. Key benefits of the SPENN integration include: Streamline
New Survey of Nearly 4,300 C-suite Leaders Reveals Intensifying Demand for Faster Innovation, Higher ROI and Stronger Business Resilience16.12.2025 16:00:00 EET | Press release
Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support, managed services and Agentic AI ERP innovation solutions, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced the findings of its new global survey, “C-suite Imperatives: Accelerating Innovation in a Shifting Landscape.” The research was conducted in partnership with Censuswide surveying nearly 4,300 CFOs, CIOs, CEOs and CISOs across the globe, examining the pressures influencing executive-level technology decisions and the priorities shaping their investment strategies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216456670/en/ New Survey of Nearly 4,300 C-suite Leaders Reveals Intensifying Demand for Faster Innovation, Higher ROI and Stronger Business Resilience The analysis shows executives are recalibrating their strategies around AI, automation and resilience as boards push
Enersense Selects Sitetracker as the Platform of Choice for 5G and Fiber Expansion Initiatives16.12.2025 16:00:00 EET | Press release
Sitetracker, the global leader in complete Asset Lifecycle Management, announced that Enersense, a leading lifecycle partner for customers operating in energy transmission and production, industrial energy transition and telecommunications services across Finland and the Baltics, has selected Sitetracker to digitize and scale its operations. The implementation enabled Enersense to replace legacy systems, standardize workflows, and support their ability to deliver services with short lead times and high process precision. The first phase of implementation is already supporting Finland’s 5G and rapidly expanding fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) initiatives. Before Sitetracker, Enersense relied on spreadsheets and email to manage project execution, resulting in limited visibility into project milestones, asset tracking, and field performance. As 5G and FTTH deployment accelerated, these manual processes created operational bottlenecks, slowed invoicing, and hindered communication with customers a
Sutherland and ComplyAdvantage Launch AI-Native "Unified FinCrime Compliance" Solution to Combat Sophisticated, Next Generation Financial Crime16.12.2025 16:00:00 EET | Press release
Sutherland, a global leader in business and digital transformation, today announced a strategic partnership with ComplyAdvantage, a leading AI-driven risk intelligence platform. The collaboration introduces a comprehensive, AI-driven financial crime (FinCrime) management solution designed to help banks and Fintechs respond to the rapid rise of AI-designed fraud, complex AML risks, fast-evolving financial crime threats, and complex compliance requirements. Today, financial crime requires sophisticated, AI-intelligence-based solutions, as traditional risk and compliance controls cannot keep up. The Sutherland-ComplyAdvantage solution transforms FinCrime management by delivering a single AI-native intelligence layer that continuously enhances screening, transaction monitoring, fraud prevention, case investigations, and regulatory reporting. This solution delivers consistent compliance, which is scalable and balances compliance and customer experience. “Financial crime today behaves like a
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom