Dutch Biotech Leyden Labs Secures €20M Funding From EIB

Leyden Labs’ lead product, PanFlu, is a nasal spray currently in clinical development. It’s designed to protect against influenza viruses, including Avian Flu (H5), and aims to offer defense against both seasonal and pandemic outbreaks.

Leyden Labs’ €20 million venture debt deal is backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU programme through the “HERA Invest” initiative.

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HERA Invest is a €110 million part of the European Health Union focused on biodefense, pandemic readiness, and fighting antimicrobial resistance. It’s funded by the EU4Health programme as part of InvestEU.

HERA’s job is to help the EU and its countries be ready for health threats that cross borders. This funding will help Leyden Labs develop their new non-vaccine treatment for respiratory viruses, supporting Europe’s pandemic preparedness.

Robert de Groot, Vice President of EIB, says, “The COVID-19 pandemic taught us multiple lessons, including that we should strengthen the EU’s preparedness and autonomy in key areas like bio sciences.”

“With the support of the European Commission, the EIB backs highly innovative EU companies like Leyden Labs with venture debt, enabling them to grow and thrive in Europe. Technological innovations from companies like Leyden Labs are key for European competitiveness and the well-being of our society.”

Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, adds, “Respiratory viruses are common and affect us all, especially the most medically vulnerable. Today’s agreement reaffirms our commitment to invest in innovation to strengthen preparedness and protection against respiratory viruses. HERA Invest is a prime example of Europe at the forefront of medical advancements in response to serious threats to health.”

The funding will help Lumo Labs develop a new way to fight respiratory viruses without using vaccines.

Koenraad Wiedhaup, co-founder and CEO of Leyden Labs, says, “We are thrilled with this endorsement of our approach and support from HERA and the European Investment Bank. This will accelerate our efforts to provide broad, universal protection against current and future viral outbreaks.”

“We are grateful that HERA and the EIB understand the urgency and significance of investing in initiatives to ensure Europe is prepared for pandemic viruses. This concern is greater than ever, given the increasing threat of an avian influenza outbreak.”

Their main product, called CR9114, is a special antibody from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. It has shown it can protect against the flu in early studies.

Unlike regular vaccines that work inside the body, Leyden Labs focuses on blocking viruses right at the entry point. These antibodies are designed to keep working even if the virus changes. This approach can also help people whose immune systems don’t work well.

Leyden Labs plans to use this method to fight viruses during both seasonal outbreaks and pandemics, helping improve overall virus prevention.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the EU’s main lender for long-term projects and is owned by all EU Member States. The Netherlands owns 5.2% of the bank.

The EIB gives long-term loans to support projects that match EU and national goals. Most of its work (over 90%) happens in Europe.

In the last 10 years, the EIB has provided more than €27 billion to projects in the Netherlands, including research, transport, water, healthcare, and small businesses. In 2024, the EIB Group, which includes the European Investment Fund, invested over €3 billion in Dutch initiatives.

The InvestEU programme is a funding plan by the European Union that brings together different financial tools in one system. It uses public and private money to support projects that match EU goals, like protecting the environment and improving digital services.

InvestEU has three main parts: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal.

The InvestEU Fund works with partners who use a €26.2 billion guarantee from the EU budget to invest in projects. This guarantee helps them take more risks and is expected to create at least €372 billion in extra investments.

About Leyden Labs

Leyden Labs was started in 2020 by Jaap Goudsmit, Koenraad Wiedhaup, and Ronald Brus. They are making nasal sprays that deliver antibodies directly to the nose and throat, where viruses first enter the body.