Biotron Limited (Biotron) is a clinical stage publicly listed Australian Biotechnology Company based in Sydney, Australia. The company is developing and commercialising a novel small molecule approach that has the potential to treat a number of serious viral diseases. The technology targets viroporin proteins, which are key to enabling the pathogenicity of a number of viruses including hepatitis C, HIV-1, Dengue, Zika, Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Biotron’s proprietary primary bacterial cell-based screening platform enables rapid screening for target viroporin proteins. The company has developed a library of over 350 compounds with potential activity against a range of viral diseases.
Currently Biotron’s lead compound, BIT225, is in Phase 2 development for the treatment of HIV-1. Importantly BIT225 appears to inhibit HIV-1 replication in macrophage reservoir cells offering the potential, when used in combination with other anti-retroviral compounds, to eradicate HIV-1.
Biotron’s viroporin approach has also demonstrated early in vitro activity against virus such as Dengue & Zika, with early stage development continuing in a range of viruses.
