Press Release

San Francisco, CA – January 10, 2021
EnGen Bio LLC has announced the launch of their first registered equity crowdfunding campaign, in partnership with WeFunder.

EnGen is an early stage biotechnology company pioneering a new approach to preventing and treating influenza with the goal of an effective, easy-to-manufacture, shelf-stable universal flu vaccine that should confer long-term immunity to all Type A influenza strains – including all flu pandemics.

Seasonal flu causes 50,000-250,000 deaths worldwide annually – causing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the development of a universal flu vaccine as an urgent need in its Global Influenza Strategy (2019-2030) report. The unique nature and genetic makeup of the influenza virus poses a challenge to researchers focused on influenza treatment and vaccination. To be effective, influenza vaccines must be ‘matched’ to the current, circulating viral strain and administered each year, and even then they have limited effectiveness due to ‘mismatching’. Another reason for a lack of protection is that the virus strain at the beginning of the flu season may be different to that at the end of the flu season. Some pandemic strains (e.g., H7N9) still cannot be grown or manufactured in the laboratory. These factors all contribute to the need for universal protection.

To address these issues, EnGen Bio is identifying universal vaccines for Type A flu prevention in both the $6B human and $0.5B veterinary markets, as well as a flu treatment antibody with a potential $2B market. If successful, these efforts could eradicate flu pandemics and dramatically limit the global burden of disease from flu.

Speaking on the urgent need for vaccines with increased efficacy, EnGen CEO Dr. Mark Alfenito stated, “Seasonal flu kills more than 25,000 people in the US, and between a quarter and half a million people worldwide, every year. Experts, including the CDC, agree that we are extremely vulnerable to a catastrophic global flu pandemic on a scale that could far exceed both Covid-19 and the Spanish flu of 1918.”

EnGen’s discovery and novel approach should stimulate a truly universal and durable immune response to all Type A influenza strains.Their discovery allows for the creation of a human therapeutic antibody and for vaccines (human and veterinary) based on a novel, well conserved region on the flu virus. Building upon their discovery, EnGen is currently optimizIng its approach for a recombinantly manufactured, lyophilized, room temperature-stable, subunit vaccine.  It is anticipated that the final product will not require controversial components at the heart of the anti-vaccination movement, eliminating ovalbumin contamination resulting from egg-based manufacturing, as well as use of thimerosal (a mercury-containing compound), formaldehyde, and aluminum for preservation or production.

Two additional factors make EnGen an especially attractive investment.  1)  Entities such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) have demonstrated their commitment to this area via significant grants to companies and institutions; they offer significant resources in the form of non-dilutive grant funding. 2) The potential to gain early liquidity via pre-clinical out-licensing to pharmaceutical partners.

EnGen is launching its crowdfunding campaign via WeFunder, just as industry trends show unprecedented growth in the biotech and vaccine space. According to the Global Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, the worldwide market for human influenza vaccines is expected to reach $11.4B by 2025. Peak sales could reach an estimated $2.6B in the U.S. alone, offering an exciting opportunity for early investors who wish to support life-saving efforts within the vaccine space.

To view detailed information on EnGen’s equity and crowdfunding terms, opportunities and risks, please visit WeFunder.