Boston – September 22, 2026 -- Viva-Thera has nominated a preclinical candidate targeting the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 gp41, completing discovery and optimization in seven months through a partnership with AI drug-design firm XtalPi (HKEX: 2228). The biotech, incubated and backed by XtalPi as a strategic shareholder, made its public debut disclosing progress across four HIV modalities: vaccines, long-acting small molecules, gene therapy and cell therapy.
XtalPi's AI screened 10 million compounds to isolate five validated hits
Using generative AI, XtalPi navigated a chemical space of approximately 10 million compounds to identify five hits with strong antiviral activity and favorable drug properties. Continuous optimization of these leads drove the program to preclinical candidate nomination within seven months, according to the companies.
The work builds on Viva-Thera's atomic-resolution structure of the HIV-1 Env MPER-transmembrane domain-cytoplasmic tail (MPER-TMD-CT) region, obtained via solution NMR under founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Qingshan Fu. The team reconstituted MPER-TMD in membrane structures on nanoparticle surfaces to ground drug screening in the target's native membrane environment. MPER and its adjacent transmembrane domain retain approximately 90% sequence identity across HIV strains, positioning the region as a target for broad-spectrum intervention distinct from binding sites used by existing reverse-transcriptase, integrase and protease inhibitors.
Vaccine immunogens elicit antibody levels five times higher than comparator in primates
Viva-Thera's MPER vaccine immunogens elicited antibody levels in rhesus macaques approximately five times those generated by a conventional HIV immunogen comparator. Antisera from the study retained substantial inhibition of HIV pseudovirus infection at a 1:1,000 dilution, providing functional evidence that the antibody response could interfere with viral entry.
Gene-therapy program targets integrated HIV DNA using CRISPR-Cas9 delivery
Viva-Thera is developing a non-replicating, HIV-derived vector to deliver CRISPR-Cas9 tools to CD4+ T cells, aiming to address integrated proviral DNA that persists despite antiviral treatment and causes viral rebound after treatment stops. The company has completed vector construction, cell-infection experiments and CD4+ T-cell introduction in humanized mice, and is preparing live-virus infection and treatment studies.
XtalPi's platform supports the portfolio through generative small-molecule design, immunogen conformation and binding-affinity analysis, gene-therapy dosing models, and computational optimization of in vivo immunotherapies, integrated with robotic automation for high-throughput testing. "Our vision is to bring together the interventions needed to prevent HIV and ultimately cure it—from blocking infection to addressing the viral reservoir," said Dr. Qingshan Fu, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Viva-Thera.
Established in 2025, Viva-Thera's pipeline also includes MPER-targeted long-acting therapeutics and targeted delivery systems for CD4+ immune cells.