Key Investor Signals
Built its antiviral platform on 15 years of academic research.
Astremiha Therapeutics is built on antiviral compounds developed from 15 years of academic research, with a mechanism designed to block viral replication, regulate immune response, and target deep viral reservoirs.
Filed three patents covering next-generation antiviral compounds.
The company has filed three patents around next-generation antivirals designed for HIV/AIDS and long COVID applications.
Received €500,000 in early financing from investors and Bpifrance
Astremiha Therapeutics has received €500,000 in initial financing from several investors and Bpifrance to develop broad-spectrum antivirals.
Other Positive Signals
- Selected by Challenges in its “100 Startups to Invest in 2026” ranking.
- Selected by IDCluster as an EID Treatment project for broad-spectrum antivirals with anti-inflammatory effects.
- Presented to the ANRS MIE Innovation Committee in January 2026.
- Incubated by Paris Biotech Santé since 2022 and formally launched in June 2024.
- Co-founded by a team combining antiviral research, translational science, and startup creation support.
Team
Mireille Laforge
Co-founder & CSO
- 20 years post-PhD in immunology, with CNRS tenure from 2016 and senior French academic qualification to supervise doctoral research.
- 3I Brain team leader at INSERM / Université Paris Cité U1141 NeuroDiderot, bringing senior research credibility in infection, immunity, and brain inflammation.
- Built deep prior expertise in HIV-related immune dysfunction, including translational research showing protection against AIDS-like disease progression in primate models.
- Named inventor on antiviral therapeutic IP from CNRS, INSERM, and Université Paris Cité, supporting her credibility in turning academic research into drug-development assets.
Pr. Pierre Gressens
Co-founder & Co-CSO
- 30+ years of clinical and translational research experience, including child neurology work at Robert-Debré Hospital and postdoctoral research training at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
- Director of INSERM / Université Paris Cité U1141 NeuroDiderot, leading a major academic research unit focused on neurodevelopment and neuroinflammation.
- Major scientific authority in pediatric neurology and brain injury, with 330+ original research papers and 180+ reviews / book chapters.
- Recognized international leader in neonatal brain research, awarded the Roger de Spoelberch Prize for work on mechanisms and neuroprotective strategies for brain damage.
Raphaël de Saint-Exupéry
Co-founder
- Former INSERM Project Manager, overseeing Long COVID and HIV projects focused on immuno-metabolic pathophysiology.
- Startup Creation Officer in Digital Health at Inria, supporting scientific founders and digital-health venture creation.
- Former strategy and innovation consultant at Alcimed, bringing prior healthcare innovation and market-entry experience.
- Business and technical training profile, including a Master’s in International Business, studies at Imperial College London, and additional training in data science and AI for healthcare.
Product
Astremiha Therapeutics is developing host-directed antiviral compounds for infections involving viral persistence, protected reservoirs, and immune dysfunction. Its initial programs target HIV/AIDS and Long COVID, with a broader ambition to address other viral infections.
Initial indications
Astremiha is starting with HIV and Long COVID. HIV can persist in stable viral reservoirs despite treatment, while viral persistence and immune dysregulation are among the mechanisms being investigated in Long COVID.
Dual therapeutic action
The company's compounds are designed to block viral replication while modulating the immune response. This approach aims to address both the virus and the immune dysfunction associated with persistent infection.
Broad-spectrum platform
Astremiha targets host-cell pathways used by viruses rather than focusing exclusively on a single virus. This could allow the same therapeutic approach to work across several viral infections and reduce the opportunity for viral resistance.
Market Overview
Persistent viral infections remain difficult to eliminate despite the commercial success of antiviral medicines. Antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV but cannot remove the stable viral reservoirs that require patients to remain on treatment. Long COVID presents a newer unmet need, with no approved drug specifically treating the condition and viral persistence among the mechanisms under investigation.
The commercial opportunity spans an established HIV treatment market and the broader antiviral category. Host-directed approaches aim to act on human-cell pathways used by viruses, creating potential activity across multiple infections while making viral resistance more difficult.
People living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2024.
Estimated cumulative number of people affected globally.
Projected market growth from 2026 to 2034.
Projected market growth from 2025 to 2035.
Comparable Outcomes
Tibotec-Virco
Tibotec-Virco developed antiviral treatments for infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, alongside HIV drug-resistance testing capabilities. Johnson & Johnson acquired Tibotec-Virco for approximately $320 million in cash and debt, adding antiviral discovery and development capabilities to its pharmaceutical R&D operations.
Triangle Pharmaceuticals / Coviracil
Triangle Pharmaceuticals developed antiviral drug candidates for HIV and hepatitis B, including Coviracil, later known as emtricitabine. Gilead acquired Triangle Pharmaceuticals for approximately $464 million to expand its HIV franchise and support the development of future combination antiviral therapies.
OncoImmune / CD24Fc
OncoImmune developed CD24Fc, an immune-modulating therapeutic candidate for severe and critical COVID-19. Merck acquired OncoImmune for $425 million upfront, with additional milestone payments tied to regulatory and commercial progress.
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Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.