RQ Bio Raises $115 Million for Influenza Antibody Therapy

RQ Bio has secured $115 million (£85.5 million) in an oversubscribed Series A financing, providing the biotechnology company with significant resources to advance the clinical development of its lead influenza prevention program and expand its pipeline of long-acting antibody therapies targeting respiratory viral diseases.

The funding round was led by Frazier Life Sciences and attracted participation from new investors EQT Life Sciences, Forbion, Monograph, and Wellington Management. Existing backers, including founding investor LifeArc Ventures, along with Oxford Science Enterprises and the University of Oxford, also participated in the financing. The strong investor interest underscores growing confidence in the company’s approach to protecting vulnerable patients from seasonal influenza.

RQ Bio is focused on developing long-acting antibody therapies for people who remain at high risk of influenza despite vaccination, including immunocompromised individuals whose immune systems may not generate sufficient protection from conventional vaccines. For these patients, influenza continues to pose a serious health risk, often leading to severe illness, hospitalization, and increased mortality.

The company’s lead candidate, RQB01, is currently progressing through investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. The therapy has been designed to provide broad and durable protection against influenza by targeting highly conserved regions of the virus that remain relatively unchanged despite seasonal mutations. Unlike conventional approaches that must adapt to circulating influenza strains each year, RQB01 uses a differentiated dual mechanism of action aimed at maintaining effectiveness across a broad range of influenza variants.

According to the company, the combination of broad strain coverage, potent neutralizing activity, and an extended duration of action could enable a single administration to protect patients throughout an entire flu season. If successful, the therapy could establish a new preventive option for individuals who cannot rely on vaccination alone.

Chief Executive Officer Mike Westby said the financing represents an important milestone for the company as it works to bring RQB01 into clinical testing. He noted that influenza remains a persistent threat for patients with weakened immune systems and emphasized the company’s goal of developing a long-lasting preventive therapy capable of delivering reliable protection for an entire influenza season after just one dose. In addition to supporting the clinical development of RQB01, the funding will also help advance RQ Bio’s proprietary antibody discovery platform to generate additional candidates targeting respiratory viral diseases.

Joe Cabral, Partner at Frazier Life Sciences, who has joined RQ Bio’s Board of Directors as part of the investment, said the company combines an experienced infectious disease team with an innovative scientific approach to influenza prevention. He highlighted RQB01’s broad coverage, potent neutralizing capability, and extended duration as key characteristics that could differentiate the therapy from existing preventive options. Cabral added that Frazier is looking forward to supporting the company as it advances the program into the clinic and reaches key development milestones.

Clare Terlouw, Managing Partner at LifeArc Ventures, said RQ Bio has made rapid progress since being co-founded by a group of leading UK scientists together with LifeArc Ventures. She described the oversubscribed financing as evidence of both the quality of the company’s science and the strength of its leadership, while also highlighting it as an example of British biotechnology attracting significant international investment.

Alongside the financing announcement, RQ Bio also revealed the appointment of biotechnology executive Christian S. Schade as Executive Chairman. Schade most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Halda Therapeutics, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in a deal valued at $3.05 billion in December 2025. He brings decades of experience in biotechnology leadership, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets.

As Executive Chairman, Schade will work closely with the company’s management team and Board of Directors to guide corporate strategy and support RQ Bio’s next phase of growth as it advances RQB01 toward clinical development and expands its portfolio of antibody-based therapies for infectious diseases.