Centivax Secures Oversubscribed $45 Million Series A to Advance Universal Flu Vaccine and Expand Immunity Portfolio
Centivax, Inc., a pioneering biotech company focused on developing vaccines and therapies for long-lasting, universal protection against diverse pathogens, has successfully raised $45 million in an oversubscribed Series A financing round. This round was led by Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures, a firm known for its investments in high-profile companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Prellis Biologics, which together represent a combined value creation of $1.4 trillion. Other notable investors in the round include NFX, BOLD Capital Partners, Base4 Capital, Kendall Capital Partners, Amplify Bio, and existing insiders who also increased their stake.
Steve Jurvetson, the lead investor, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, “I’ve been seeking a credible antiviral breakthrough for over 20 years. Centivax’s universal flu vaccine is a game-changer, and their ability to apply this technology to other areas, like universal antivenoms, gives me great hope for a future post-pandemic.”
The Series A funds will help propel Centivax’s lead program—a universal flu vaccine—through its first Phase I clinical trial, slated to begin in less than eight months. The trial will evaluate the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, using the hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay to test its ability to protect against over 20 flu strains, including current and potential future variants. The HAI assay, which is the same used to license seasonal flu vaccines, will offer a definitive benchmark for the vaccine’s broad protection capabilities.
Dr. Jerald Sadoff, Centivax’s Chief Medical Officer, emphasized the significance of the trial, noting, “The Phase I trial provides an opportunity to prove that Centivax’s platform directs the immune system to target pathogen regions that remain constant across strains. This approach is not only valuable for flu but also for tackling other rapidly mutating pathogens.”
The company has already demonstrated the success of its platform in preclinical studies, where it induced universal immunity across a wide range of influenza strains in animals, including ferrets, pigs, cows, and human immune organoids. Notably, it also showed effectiveness against the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu strain.
Beyond the flu vaccine, Centivax’s epitope-focusing technology has led to a rapidly expanding pipeline, which includes treatments for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), herpesviruses, HIV, malaria, and even cancer. One of the company’s most innovative programs—a universal antivenom—was recently highlighted in major publications such as Nature, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Jacob Glanville, co-founder and CEO of Centivax, explained the broader implications of the company’s work: “Our vaccines have the potential to not only protect against a wide range of infectious diseases but also reduce the long-term complications from these pathogens, like cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.” Dr. Glanville has previously played key roles in developing vaccines like Gardasil® and Zostavax™—both of which have shown efficacy in preventing certain cancers and diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Centivax’s leadership team brings extensive experience from top-tier biotech companies. Dr. Glanville previously founded Distributed Bio, which was acquired by Charles River Laboratories in 2020, while Dr. Sadoff has led vaccine development at Johnson & Johnson and Merck. Dr. Sawsan Youssef, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder, was instrumental in the development of clinical-stage drugs at Pfizer, while Stephanie Wisner, the company’s Chief Business Officer, brings deep experience from ARCH Venture Partners.
Glancing ahead, Dr. Glanville noted, “Universal vaccines will revolutionize healthcare by providing safer, more reliable, and convenient treatments. This funding will help us meet the U.S. government’s goal of a universal flu vaccine within five years and extend our platform to other impactful diseases.”
As part of this financing round, Centivax also welcomed Emilio Emini, PhD, former CEO of the Gates Medical Research Institute, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Emini brings significant vaccine development experience, having contributed to groundbreaking programs like Prevnar and Pneumovax.
In addition to the Series A funding, Centivax has secured $24 million in non-dilutive funding through grants from organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CEPI, and the National Institutes of Health, supporting the development of their technologies.
Stephanie Wisner, Centivax’s Chief Business Officer, concluded, “With this new funding, we’re poised to advance our first-in-human trials and bring our universal flu vaccine closer to market. This will catalyze the next phase of growth for the company and make universal immunity a reality.”
