Thyreos

Thyreos is a biotechnology company focused on developing vaccines for both the animal and human health sectors, specifically targeting neuroinvasive herpesviruses. The company was founded in 2020 through a collaboration of academic researchers: Dr. Gary Pickard of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dr. Gregory Smith of Northwestern University, and Dr. Ekaterina Heldwein of Tufts University. These founders bring extensive expertise in neuroscience, virology, and molecular biology, with their collective research leading to the platform technology. Eric Zeece, who has over a decade of experience with technology startups and in venture capital, joined as CEO in November 2020 to lead commercialization efforts.

The company's core technology is the proprietary R2 vaccine platform. This platform engineers vaccines that elicit a strong immune response without the risk of infecting the nervous system, a common trait of herpesviruses. By eliminating a specific viral component (region 2 of the pUL37 protein), the vaccine prevents the virus from entering the nervous system, thus avoiding the lifelong latent infections and potential for reactivation that characterize the herpesvirus family. A key benefit of this approach is that the vaccines reportedly do not require adjuvants or repeat vaccinations.

Thyreos is pursuing a dual-market strategy, with initial commercial efforts directed at the animal health market, which presents a faster path to revenue. The first target is a vaccine for Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), a respiratory disease in cattle caused by a herpesvirus that leads to significant economic losses in the beef industry. Simultaneously, the company is advancing its human health pipeline. It has received significant funding, including a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the preclinical development of a vaccine against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2), the virus that causes genital herpes. The business model appears to be centered on the development and subsequent commercialization of these vaccines, likely through partnerships with established animal and human health pharmaceutical companies. The company has secured seed funding from investors like Invest Nebraska and grants from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and the NIH to advance its research and development.

Keywords: Thyreos, herpesvirus vaccine, R2 vaccine platform, animal health vaccines, human health vaccines, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), HSV-2 vaccine, neuroinvasive virus, live-attenuated vaccine, virology, biotechnology, preclinical development, vaccine technology, cattle industry, herpes simplex virus, veterinary medicine, non-neuroinvasive vaccine, Invest Nebraska, University of Nebraska, Northwestern University, Tufts University