RQ Bio raises £86 million to develop long-acting antibody protection against influenza

British biotechnology company RQ Bio has secured £86 million in an oversubscribed Series A financing, marking one of the largest European biotech funding rounds of the year. The investment was led by Frazier Life Sciences, with participation from EQT Life Sciences, Forbion, Monograph and Wellington Management, alongside existing backers LifeArc Ventures, Oxford Science Enterprises and the University of Oxford.

Founded in 2021 by a group of UK scientists in partnership with LifeArc Ventures, RQ Bio is seeking to address a longstanding gap in influenza prevention: protecting immunocompromised patients who derive little or no benefit from conventional vaccination.

Its lead programme, RQB01, is a long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to provide season-long protection through a single administration. Rather than stimulating the body’s immune response, as vaccines do, the therapy delivers antibodies directly. The candidate combines two mechanisms of action targeting highly conserved regions of the influenza virus that are less susceptible to seasonal mutations, with the aim of maintaining efficacy across multiple circulating strains.

The proceeds from the Series A will fund the clinical development of RQB01, currently in IND-enabling studies, while supporting the expansion of the company’s proprietary antibody discovery platform into additional respiratory viral diseases. The programme is expected to enter clinical trials in 2027.

The financing also brings changes to the company’s leadership. Christian S. Schade has been appointed Executive Chairman after serving as chief executive of Halda Therapeutics, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for $3.05 billion in late 2025. His appointment adds significant experience in scaling biotechnology companies and executing strategic transactions. Meanwhile, Joe Cabral, Partner at Frazier Life Sciences, joins RQ Bio’s board as part of the investment.

There is a growing investor interest in preventive biologics that complement, rather than replace, vaccines. While annual influenza vaccination remains the standard of care, protection is often inadequate for patients with weakened immune systems, leaving a significant unmet medical need.

Should clinical trials validate its preclinical data, RQB01 could establish a new category of influenza prophylaxis for high-risk populations, offering sustained protection throughout an entire flu season with a single injection.