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Antiva Biosciences is developing topical therapeutics to treat diseases caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), one of which is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (HSIL, CIN 2,3). The company’s first product, ABI-2280, aims to treat those pre-cancerous lesions on the cervix before they become cancerous. Through this topical drug, Antiva Biosciences can provide a non-surgical, at home treatment that is convenient, improves access to care, and preserves a woman’s reproductive health.

CEO: Kristine Ball (formerly Gail Maderis)

Headquarters: South San Francisco, CA

Year Founded: 2012

Year Avestria First Invested: 2021 (Fund I)

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Recent Press:

February 27, 2024: Life Science Leader, a magazine that focuses on the thought leadership and discussion in the life sciences, named Antiva Biosciences among its companies to watch. Antiva’s ABI-2280, its first product, not only is a novel molecule (rather than a reformation of existing ones) but also is needed worldwide: from the United States to Japan (which actually has no widespread vaccine program for cervical cancer).

December 5, 2023: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)’s inaugural “Innovation in Women’s Health 2023” puts the spotlight on women’s health: on both its need for funding and R&D and on the founders and companies heading innovations in the space. Antiva was featured as a notable deal in biopharma, one of the largest women’s health-focused deals in 2023, and one of the companies serving the adolescent to young adult space. AOA, Axena Health, Madorra, Mae, and Midi - five other Avestria portfolio companies - were also mentioned throughout the report.

October 19, 2023: Antiva has strengthened its leadership with its latest new appointments. Elaine Chien, M.D., FACOG, will join the team as Chief Medical Officer, Susan Wilson, Ph.D., will be Vice President of Project Managements and Strategic Initiatives, and Rajashree Joshi-Hangal, Ph.D., will round out the latest hires as Vice President of Technical Operations. These individuals each have more than 25 years of experience in their respective fields and will help advance ABI-2280 - Antiva’s leading topical therapeutic candidate for the treatment of high-risk infections and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) - into key efficacy studies.

September 14, 2023: Gail Maderis, former CEO of Antiva and now chairwoman of its board of directors, is one of the speakers at the 2023 Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS). Gail joins Anna Daily, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Namida Lab for a panel called, “Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Novel Innovations Driving Diagnostics”. The panel covers how novel biomarkers (such as menstrual blood and tears) can change the standards in diagnosis, especially for health sectors that affect women differently or predominantly (such as brain health, cardiovascular health, and oncology). Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, of Avestria portfolio company AOA Dx., will also speak at the conference.

August 15, 2023: In its mid-year 2023 healthcare report, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) named women’s health as the sector to watch, writing “Now more than ever, it is evident that investment into this space can bring impressive returns for multiple players, including investors, providers and payers.” The report also included a market map of women’s health subsectors that have raised the most amount of funds from venture capital investors since 2015, and Antiva was included in the “Oncology” subsector. AOA, Axena Health, Curio, Madorra, and Midi - five other Avestria portfolio companies - also made the market map across subsectors.

April 27, 2023: Antiva announced its latest round: a $53 million Series E. This financing will help fund the Phase 2 clinical trials for ABI-2280 - Antiva’s potential treatment to prevent cervical lesions from becoming cancerous - as well as an exploratory study about ABI-2280’s potential as a treatment for high-risk HPV infections. Antiva also named Kristine Ball as its new CEO; former CEO Gail Maderis is moving to a new role as Chairwoman of Antiva’s Board of Directors.

September 4, 2022: Antiva was one of the 24 women’s health startups chosen to pitch at the 2022 Women’s Health Innovation Summit. These companies were selected by 10 leading venture capitalists in women’s health, femtech, and healthcare, including Avestria’s Linda Greub. AOA and Raydiant Oximetry, two other Avestria portfolio companies, were also named as finalists.

January 5, 2022: Antiva was named one of the four winners of The Global Women’s HealthTech Awards. Presented by the World Bank Group and the Consumer Tech Association, these awards recognize companies that are helping women in developing countries live healthier and longer than before. The four winners - Antiva, InnAccel, NIRAMAI, and UE LifeSciences - were chosen from 70 applicants from 35 countries.

November 2, 2021: Antiva announced its latest $31 million financing round. The funds will go to the company’s continued development of ABI-2280 - its potential treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia - and will include the drug’s advancement into Phase 1 and 2a clinical trials. The round was lead by Adjuvant Capital and included Avestria Ventures as one of the new investors.

April 21, 2021: Antiva has announced that Clifford Samuel is joining the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Samuel brings 25+ years of biopharmaceutical commercial experience with 20+ years in roles across sales, managed markets, and global commercial operations at Gilead Science Inc. His experience and relationships in low and middle-income countries as well as his passion for global health and universal patient access makes him a strong and valuable member of Antiva’s Board of Directors.

January 27, 2020: In this two-minute video, Gail Maderis explains her thoughts of diversity and inclusion in biotech. She believes that different perspectives, backgrounds, and attitudes towards risk-taking, all of which help fuel innovation. She cites the diversity within Antiva’s own team as one of the reasons that it can successfully understand and collaborate with partners around the world.

November 9, 2018: In 2015, Gail Maderis was set to retire. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) around 2005 and, in 2015, she helped oversee the merger between BayBio, of which she was CEO, and the California Healthcare Institute. However, she was recruited to head Antiva, bringing her professional experience in clinical trial organization, fundraising, and recruitment, her personal experience with biotech drugs, and her goals of using tech to improve the lives of people around the world.

November 8, 2018: The San Francisco Business Times named Gail Maderis one of the most admirable CEOs. In this corresponding one-minute video, Gail Maderis shares that one of the most valuable lessons she’s learned as a leader is to value diversity: to listen to people, embrace differences, and understand the context of people’s approaches. Her own inspiration comes from the opportunity to develop and use technology to affect people’s lives positively.

August 16, 2018: Although 310,000+ women die every year from cervical cancer, Antiva’s team noticed that their relevant drug was still not seen as relevant by male investors, OB-GYNs, and physicians. In contrast, female physicians understand the need for new treatment options to replace the surgery that can be harmful to women’s reproductive health.

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