Ethris and its partners have secured an initial European Union contract to move a novel pandemic influenza vaccine program into early clinical development, with total potential support of up to $174 million if later stages are approved. The award was made by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) to the NOFLU consortium, and Ethris said the first tranche amounts to $15 million for a Phase 1 program. The consortium was selected as one of three programs funded under the EU’s pre-commercial procurement framework for parallel influenza vaccine strategy development.
Funding Structure and Scope
The funding package is structured as a staged contract rather than a single upfront grant, meaning progression to later phases depends on review and evaluation within the EU framework. Ethris and consortium partner NIVI Development said the current Phase 1 contract is designed to generate early clinical safety data, while later phases could unlock up to $41 million for Phase 2 and $117 million for Phase 3. The companies also described the full program as a long-duration effort that could span up to 98 months, covering activities from early development through potential market authorization.
Vaccine Approach
The vaccine concept being advanced uses Ethris’s mRNA platform in a mucosal approach aimed at pandemic influenza, with the intention of stimulating immune protection where respiratory viruses first enter the body. Ethris said the candidate is designed to trigger immune responses in the airways rather than relying only on systemic immunity, which the company argues may help reduce viral transmission. In its public LinkedIn post, the company reiterated that the program centers on a mucosal pandemic influenza strategy and highlighted the same core rationale for local immune protection.
Clinical Development Plan
NIVI Development said the Phase 1 program will evaluate an mRNA-based vaccine candidate targeting H5N8 influenza, which it described as a subtype with pandemic potential. The planned study will assess safety, feasibility, and immunological responses, and it is expected to compare intramuscular and intranasal administration routes as part of the trial design. The trial is slated to be conducted at Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen, positioning the program as an early clinical test of whether mucosal delivery can support influenza pandemic preparedness.
Consortium and Broader EU Context
NOFLU brings together seven organizations across four EU countries, including Ethris, Evonik, NIVI Development, Statens Serum Institut, Bavarian Nordic, ECRAID, and VisMederi, with roles spanning formulation, delivery, clinical execution, and immunological assessment. The announcement also fits into a broader European Commission initiative unveiled on February 20, 2026, which committed $294 million to accelerate next-generation influenza vaccines and support easier-to-administer options such as nasal, oral, or skin patch formats. The Commission said those contracts are intended to advance candidates through clinical development while strengthening Europe’s preparedness and manufacturing resilience for future outbreaks.
For Ethris, the NOFLU award provides a significant EU-backed route to test its respiratory-focused mRNA vaccine technology in a pandemic influenza setting, but the full $174 Million remains contingent on future performance and approvals. For policymakers, the selection reflects a deliberate strategy of funding multiple vaccine concepts in parallel to improve the chances of producing viable next-generation options before a major influenza emergency. If Phase 1 results are favorable, the program could become one of the more closely watched European efforts to pair mRNA technology with mucosal delivery in pandemic preparedness.