Salarius Pharmaceuticals to Collaborate with Texas Biomedical Research Institute on Avian Flu Study

Core Insights - Decoy Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Salarius Pharmaceuticals, is developing influenza fusion inhibitors using its proprietary IMP3ACT™ platform, which shows promising in silico binding energy to viral target proteins, indicating potential anti-flu activity [1][2] - The collaboration with Texas Biomedical Research Institute aims to conduct in vitro testing of these inhibitors across various influenza strains, including H5N1 avian flu, addressing the urgent need for effective antiviral treatments [1][3] Company Developments - Salarius has completed a merger with Decoy Therapeutics and raised $8 million through a public offering, focusing on advancing its pipeline of peptide conjugate therapeutics [4] - The company aims to leverage its IMP3ACT platform to create a single antiviral therapeutic effective against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, potentially addressing a significant global commercial opportunity [4][11] Industry Context - Seasonal influenza and related illnesses result in over 10 million medical visits annually in the U.S., highlighting a substantial unmet medical need [4] - The World Health Organization reports approximately 1 billion cases of seasonal influenza each year, with severe cases leading to 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths, emphasizing the critical need for new antiviral therapies [7][11] Technological Advancements - The IMP3ACT platform utilizes machine learning and rapid synthesis techniques to design and manufacture peptide conjugate therapeutics, enhancing the speed and efficiency of drug development [3][8] - Decoy's technology has shown effectiveness against multiple human coronaviruses and RSV, indicating its potential for broad application in infectious diseases [9][11]