{"id":62955,"date":"2026-04-17T10:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/orthogon-therapeutics-raises-an-additional-11m-financing-for-its-bk-virus-antiviral-drug-program\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:02:23","slug":"orthogon-therapeutics-raises-an-additional-11m-financing-for-its-bk-virus-antiviral-drug-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/orthogon-therapeutics-raises-an-additional-11m-financing-for-its-bk-virus-antiviral-drug-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Orthogon Therapeutics Raises an Additional $11M Financing for Its BK Virus Antiviral Drug Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\nEstablishing an innovative class of polyomavirus antivirals spanning BK and JC virus indications<\/i><\/p>\n

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CANTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BKV<\/a>–Orthogon Therapeutics today announced the closing of a follow-on $11 million financing, bringing its total capital raised to $36 million. This financing supports the continued advancement of its first-in-class drug against BK polyomavirus. BK virus infections are a major cause of complications in transplant patients, with no approved treatments.<\/p>\n

\nThe company is pioneering an oral therapy that addresses the full spectrum of BK infection, from early reactivation through systemic spread and onset of severe disease. By targeting viral proteins previously considered inaccessible to small molecule drugs, Orthogon is advancing a solution where other therapeutic modalities have fallen short.<\/p>\n

\nOrthogon\u2019s lead asset uniquely targets the viral capsid protein (VP1), delivering potent antiviral effect at the site of viral replication. The intracellular activity leads to sustained control of viral infection across BK variants and related human polyomaviruses, particularly in transplant patients, where viral persistence drives disease.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThis is not a conventional antiviral setting. We built this program to meet the realities of transplant care<\/i><\/b>,<\/i>\u201d said Ali H. Munawar, Ph.D., CEO of Orthogon Therapeutics. \u201cThese patients are treated within a narrow balance of immunosuppression, organ function, and high pill burden. We designed around those constraints, arriving at a candidate profile that we\u2019re excited to take into development<\/i>.<\/b>\u201d<\/p>\n

\nIn parallel, Orthogon has published findings examining hundreds of patient-derived BK virus sequences, showing that the virus carries pre-existing diversity at antibody-binding regions and that it replicates beyond the reach of circulating antibodies. These studies explain the limited clinical benefit observed with neutralizing antibodies, challenges that Orthogon\u2019s drug is designed to overcome.<\/p>\n

\nThe program draws on Orthogon\u2019s portfolio of novel small molecules directed at each of the two viral proteins: the VP1 capsid and large T antigen (LTAg), a capability that has eluded the field for decades. The program will be featured at leading transplant and virology meetings in 2026, building on findings presented at the ASN in 2025.<\/p>\n

\nAlongside its core focus on polyomaviruses, Orthogon is advancing programs in additional areas of unmet need in transplant-associated infections.<\/p>\n

\nAbout BK and polyomaviruses:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\nBK virus (BKV) is among the most widespread chronic viral infections in humans. A member of the polyomavirus family, BKV establishes a lifelong infection in 80\u201390% of healthy adults worldwide. Reactivation occurs in the kidneys of nearly half of all solid organ and stem cell transplant recipients, leading to severe complications and graft loss. Other human polyomaviruses, including JC virus and Merkel cell polyomavirus, cause fatal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and aggressive Merkel cell carcinoma, respectively.<\/i><\/p>\n

\nAbout Orthogon Therapeutics:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\nOrthogon is a polyomavirus-focused biotech built on a proprietary discovery platform that fuses structure-based drug design with deep biophysical interrogation of viral proteins, unlocking targets long considered undruggable. The company is headquartered in Greater Boston with a research branch in Leuven, Belgium. To learn more visit <\/i>www.orthogontherapeutics.com<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

\nOrthogon Therapeutics LLC is an independent, privately held research & development (R&D) company affiliated with the Pledge Therapeutics discovery engine. More info on <\/i>www.pledge-tx.com<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Contacts<\/b> <\/p>\n

\nAli H. Munawar, Ph.D.
\n
amunawar@orthogontherapeutics.com<\/a>
1-339-502-8643<\/p>\n

\nMaria Martin
\n
mmartin@pledge-tx.com<\/a>
1-339-502-8630<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Establishing an innovative class of polyomavirus antivirals spanning BK and JC virus indications CANTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BKV–Orthogon Therapeutics today announced the closing of a follow-on $11 million financing, bringing its total capital raised to $36 million. This financing supports the continued advancement of its first-in-class drug against BK polyomavirus. BK virus infections are a major cause … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-business","4":"post-62955","6":"format-standard","7":"category-industry"},"yoast_head":"\nOrthogon Therapeutics Raises an Additional $11M Financing for Its BK Virus Antiviral Drug Program - Pharma Trend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/orthogon-therapeutics-raises-an-additional-11m-financing-for-its-bk-virus-antiviral-drug-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orthogon Therapeutics Raises an Additional $11M Financing for Its BK Virus Antiviral Drug Program - Pharma Trend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Establishing an innovative class of polyomavirus antivirals spanning BK and JC virus indications CANTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BKV–Orthogon Therapeutics today announced the closing of a follow-on $11 million financing, bringing its total capital raised to $36 million. 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