Florida-based biotechnology firm ILiAD Biotechnologies Inc. announced Tuesday that it has closed a major financing round, securing $115 million to propel development of a next-generation vaccine aimed at curbing whooping cough — a disease that continues to exact a deadly toll on young children worldwide.
The ILiAD $115M Fundraise marks a pivotal moment for the advanced clinical-stage company as it accelerates work on a vaccine candidate designed to halt not only illness but transmission of the bacteria behind pertussis.
A Persistent Global Threat
ILiAD is focused on preventing and treating whooping cough, an infectious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Despite longstanding vaccination programs, the disease remains stubbornly persistent.
Citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the company noted that pertussis is linked to nearly 160,000 deaths each year among children under the age of five — a stark reminder that the pathogen still finds ways to slip through public health defenses.
Against that backdrop, ILiAD is betting that science can outpace the bacteria.
