Thylacine Biotherapeutics Wins Medical Threat Reduction Challenge With Antiviral Platform

Thylacine Biotherapeutics has won first place in the Medical Threat Reduction Challenge organized by Advanced Technology International and the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium.

Beating over 300 submissions and 14 finalists, the company’s broad-spectrum antiviral platform impressed the judges with its potential to combat a wide range of viral threats, Thylacine said.

Thylacine’s platform, developed at Columbia University by Matteo Porotto and Anne Moscona with over 17 years of National Institutes of Health-funded research, targets several viral agents, including influenza and even high-threat pathogens such as Ebola and Nipah.

The company said its THY-01 solution has proven effective against various coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS. Moreover, it is designed to rapidly adapt to new viruses through a proprietary toolkit approach.

Praising Thylacine’s technology, Mike Stebbins, senior vice president of ATI, executive director of MCDC and a 4×24 member, highlighted its potential to protect the military against a wide range of viral threats.

Elma Hawkins, Thylacine Biotherapeutics’ executive chairwoman, emphasized the platform’s ability to address both common infectious diseases and emerging viral biothreats, noting its potential to revolutionize antiviral therapies.