Lumen Bioscience Awarded Up to $7 Million to Advance Phase 1 Clinical Development of Host-Directed Antiviral Countermeasure

Seattle, WA, August 25, 2026 – Lumen Bioscience — Lumen Bioscience, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded funding up to $7 million from the Department of War’s (DoW’s) Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND) to support Phase 1 clinical development of LMN-1001, the company’s host-directed antiviral candidate.

The award will fund a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic activity of single and multiple intranasal doses of LMN-1001 in healthy volunteers. The study will also generate critical translational data on local innate immune activation. It will serve as a foundation for further development of LMN-1001 as a broad-spectrum medical countermeasure against naturally emerging and deliberate biological threats. This aligns with the DoW’s strategic pivot away from relying solely on pathogen-specific countermeasures. Unlike conventional pathogen-specific antivirals, LMN-1001 is designed to stimulate the body’s innate antiviral defenses at the site of initial infection, ensuring the Joint Force can fight through an exposure and maintain operational resilience.

The Phase 1 trial is expected to begin in early fall, with top-line data from the single-dose cohort anticipated in Q2 2027 and top-line results from the multiple-dose cohort expected in the second half of 2027.

“Host-directed therapies represent an important new approach to biodefense because they have the potential to protect against known, emerging, and genetically modified viral threats without requiring prior knowledge of the specific pathogen,” said Brian Finrow, Lumen’s CEO. “This award enables us to advance LMN-1001 into clinical testing and generate the human data needed to evaluate this novel approach.”

The Phase 1 program will evaluate escalating single doses followed by repeat-dose administration to optimize tolerability and local pharmacodynamic responses, duration of innate immune activation, systemic exposure, immunogenicity, and overall safety. The multidose component will also help define dosing schedules appropriate for future efficacy studies and emergency-use scenarios. The program builds upon Lumen’s earlier DoW-supported work developing LMN-1001 as a rapidly deployable antiviral countermeasure for prophylaxis and early treatment. It leverages the company’s spirulina-based biomanufacturing platform, which is designed to produce recombinant protein therapeutics at-scale, while supporting stable, needle-free formulations suitable for deployment in austere environments.

About Lumen Bioscience

Lumen Bioscience is developing a new generation of affordable biological products and medicines using its proprietary spirulina-based biomanufacturing platform. The company’s pipeline includes antiviral, gastrointestinal, and biodefense products designed to improve access to recombinant protein therapeutics through scalable manufacturing and innovative delivery technologies. For more information, visit: www.lumen.bio.

About LMN-1001

Formulated as an intranasal dry powder for delivery to the respiratory mucosa, LMN-1001 is designed to activate localized innate antiviral defenses while limiting systemic exposure. The program is being developed as a broad-spectrum antiviral countermeasure for naturally emerging infectious diseases and biodefense applications. LMN-1001 is intended for development as a rapidly deployable antiviral prophylactic and early-treatment countermeasure for military personnel, first responders, healthcare workers, and civilian populations at risk of exposure to respiratory viral pathogens.

About the CPE CBRND

The Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND) mission is to provide an integrated layered chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense capabilities to the Joint Force across warfighting functions and combined Joint All-Domain Operations. CPE CBRND’s goal is to enable the Joint Force to fight and win unencumbered by a CBRN environment. To learn more about CPE CBRND, visit: https://www.jpeocbrnd.osd.mil/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the development of LMN-1001, anticipated clinical studies, potential applications, and expected benefits. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described. LMN-1001 is an investigational product and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise do not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

Media Contact:
Julie Rathbun
+1.206.769.9219
jrathbun@lumen.bio