Dx&Vx said it has signed a technology transfer agreement with LUCA AI Cell to acquire the latter’s next-generation antiviral therapeutic platform targeting a broad range of coronaviruses and emerging infectious diseases.
Dx&Vx has licensed LUCA AI Cell’s next-generation antiviral platform to develop broad-spectrum treatments against current and future pandemic viruses, including Disease X.
The licensed platform includes a universal antiviral treatment technology developed by LUCA that targets not only known coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, but also potential viral threats that could lead to the next global pandemic.
Through this agreement, Dx&Vx has secured a therapeutic platform that can respond to serious viral diseases, including so-called “Disease X”—a term used by global health authorities to describe unknown pathogens that could cause future pandemics.
At the core of the technology is LUCA’s proprietary LEAD peptide therapeutic, which identifies viruses by recognizing the curvature of their lipid-based envelopes. The platform specifically targets and destroys viruses with diameters under 200 nanometers—such as SARS-CoV-2—while sparing healthy human cells, minimizing side effects and toxicity.
The technology also has the advantage of responding rapidly to viral mutations, making it adaptable to a wide range of life-threatening infections, including Zika, Ebola, dengue, and Marburg virus.
"We are thrilled to introduce LUCA’s globally recognized, first-in-class antiviral platform," Dx&Vx CEO Kwon Kyu-chan. "We will accelerate preclinical toxicity and other required studies to enter global clinical trials, aiming to broaden its application not only to Covid-19 but also to future pandemics caused by Disease X."
LUCA CEO Ahn Seung-hee also said, “Partnering with Dx&Vx, a company equipped with both new drug development expertise and commercialization capabilities, will accelerate the timeline for global commercialization of our therapeutic and contribute to pandemic preparedness.