In May 2018, Agenovir was acquired by Vir Biotechnology and now operates as a subsiduary of that corporation. Using computationally engineered nuclease technology Agenovir is working on development of a novel class of human therapeutics to address diseases associated with or caused by latent or persistent viral reservoirs. Individuals affected by these diseases number in the millions, and treatment options are extremely limited or non-existent. Agenovir is developing therapies to target and disrupt viral DNA using nucleases, including CRISPR/Cas9 to target viral DNA for disruption. By interfering at the level of DNA, it may be possible to treat and eliminate latent viruses and persistent viral reservoirs for which there are no current treatments. Using its deep virology expertise and targeted genome editing technologies, Agenovir's mission is to develop innovative treatments that disrupt or eliminate pathogenic viral genomes, bringing hope to patients who suffer from devastating, persistent viral infection Gorunded in technology developed in the laboratory of Stephen Quake, D.Phil., professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the company is using CRISPR/Cas9 and other nucleases designed, engineered, and simulated in silico at massive scale to disrupt intracellular viral DNA. By interfering at the level of DNA, it may be possible to treat and eliminate persistent viral reservoirs for which there are no current treatments. As a proof of concept, the company has generated data for several viruses that demonstrate infection-specific cell death following delivery of nucleases to human cells.
