Our Science
Developing a Broad-Spectrum Respiratory Virus Protection at the Point of Entry
NorthLinks Bio is developing broad-spectrum antiviral technologies designed to protect against respiratory viral infections at the point of entry. Our glycan-targeted platform aims to provide convenient, non-invasive protection against multiple respiratory viruses through host-directed antiviral mechanisms.
A Significant Global Unmet Need
Respiratory viruses remain a major global health burden despite vaccines and existing therapies.
Seasonal and emerging respiratory viruses continue to cause substantial illness, hospitalization, and death worldwide. Existing therapies and vaccines are often underutilized and may provide incomplete or short-lived protection due to viral diversity and antiviral resistance, waning virus-specific immunity, and reduced effectiveness in older adults and immunocompromised individuals. Together, these challenges highlight the need for broad-spectrum approaches capable of protecting against multiple respiratory viruses simultaneously.
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Up to 12.8 Billion
Upper respiratory infections occur globally every year
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~1 Billion
Global influenza infections annually
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3-5 Million
Severe influenza cases each which can lead to 650,000 deaths per year
In the US, Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV together account for more than 1 million US hospitalizations and more than 80,000 deaths annually.
Our Platform
The Glycan-Targeted Platform
NorthLinks Bio’s Glycan-Targeted Platform is based on engineered carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) designed to bind with high affinity to sialic acids present on the surface of respiratory epithelial cells and certain viral glycoproteins. By linking multiple CBMs in tandem and combining them with self-assembling oligomerization domains, NorthLinks Bio generates multivalent proteins with binding affinities enhanced from micromolar to low nanomolar range.
Key Advantages / Differentiators
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High-affinity recognition of α(2,3)- and α(2,6)-linked Neu5Ac, ubiquitous glycans present throughout the human respiratory tract
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Host-directed mechanism designed to reduce susceptibility to viral escape mutations and antiviral resistance
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Potential to inhibit a broad range of respiratory pathogens that utilize sialic acid for host attachment and entry
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Multivalent glycan binding may sterically hinder additional virus–host interactions beyond direct sialic acid recognition
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Engineered protein platform designed for scalable manufacturing in E. coli