RCS - hVIVO PLC - Consultancy contract with Decoy Therapeutics

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RNS Number : 4865G  hVIVO PLC  01 June 2026

 

hVIVO plc

("hVIVO", the "Company" or the "Group")

 

Consultancy contract signed with Decoy Therapeutics to support development of
respiratory antiviral candidates

 

Consultancy engagement supports clinical development planning for antiviral
programmes, with potential to advance to Phase I and human proof-of-concept
studies

 

London, UK - 1 June 2026, hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO), a purpose-built, full-service
international clinical development partner and the world leader in human
challenge trials, announces it has signed a consultancy contract with Decoy
Therapeutics ("Decoy") to support the development of its respiratory antiviral
candidates.

 

Decoy is developing a portfolio of Designable Multi-Antiviral (D-MAV)
candidates, a new antiviral category designed to address multiple viruses by
targeting shared viral mechanisms across multiple respiratory viruses using a
single adaptable therapeutic approach.

 

Under the agreement, hVIVO will provide consultancy services spanning
translational modelling, regulatory strategy, scientific advice preparation,
Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) consulting, non-clinical
development support and preparation of key clinical and regulatory
documentation required for European and UK clinical trial submissions. The
engagement also includes support for interactions with the European Medicines
Agency (EMA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA).

 

The consultancy programme is intended to support Decoy's clinical development
strategy, including first-in-human dose selection, translational pharmacology
planning and readiness for future clinical studies.

 

Subject to securing future financing and successful programme progression,
Decoy also intends to conduct early proof-of-concept and likely follow-on
studies with hVIVO, given its track record in human challenge trials.

 

Yamin 'Mo' Khan, Chief Executive Officer of hVIVO, said: "This contract
highlights the breadth of expertise available through hVIVO's integrated
platform, supporting clients from preclinical and regulatory strategy through
to clinical development and proof-of-concept studies. Increasingly,
biotechnology companies are seeking specialist partners that can provide
scientific, regulatory and clinical development expertise under one roof,
helping them navigate the complex pathway to the clinic more efficiently. We
look forward to supporting Decoy as it advances its lead programmes and
prepares for future clinical development milestones."

 

"Our objective is a 'one drug, many viruses, many people' approach," said Rick
Pierce, Chief Executive Officer, Decoy Therapeutics. "Viral disease shouldn't
require a new drug for every new threat, and it shouldn't take years to reach
the people who need it most. We're building D-MAVs as a new category of
antiviral, one designed to work across multiple viruses and built from the
start for the markets, governments and global health partners who can get them
to patients at scale. Our partnership with hVIVO is a critical step toward
proving that approach in human studies, and this development framework could
potentially support future candidates within our antiviral pipeline."

 

For further information please contact:

 

 hVIVO plc                                                                           +44 (0)20 7756 1300
 Yamin 'Mo' Khan, Chief Executive Officer

 Stephen Pinkerton, Chief Financial Officer

 Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)                                                      +44 (0)20 7220 0500
 Geoff Nash, Callum Davidson

Trisyia Jamaludin, Harriet Ward

 Nigel Birks - Life Science Specialist Sales

 Louise Talbot - Sales

 Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker)                                                                            +44 (0)20 7418 8900
 James Steel, Dr Christopher Golden

 Davy (Joint Broker)                                                                                     +353 (0) 1 679 6363
 Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist

 ICR Healthcare (Financial PR & IR)                                                  hVIVO@icrhealthcare.com

 Mary-Jane Elliott / Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / Louis Ashe-Jepson

 

Notes to Editors

 

About Decoy Therapeutics

Decoy Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering Designable
Multi-Antivirals (D-MAVs), a new category of antivirals engineered to target
shared viral mechanisms, enabling a single, adaptable drug to work across
multiple viruses. Built on the proprietary IMP³ACT platform, which combines
AI-assisted design and rapid synthesis, Decoy develops peptide antivirals
designed to move faster into the clinic and expand what is possible in viral
prevention and treatment. The company's lead candidates target multiple
respiratory viruses, addressing the health and societal burden of viral
disease.

 

About hVIVO

hVIVO plc (https://hvivo.com/) (AIM: HVO) is a purpose-built, full-service
international clinical development partner and the global leader in human
challenge trials, serving seven of the world's ten largest biopharma
companies.

 

The Company has an end-to-end platform designed to bring important medicines
to patients faster: spanning preclinical strategy, first‑in‑human studies,
Phase II patient trials and specialist laboratory services, delivered through
a large participant database, wholly owned sites and laboratories across the
UK and Germany.

 

With a combined Group heritage of more than 100 years, hVIVO delivers an
accelerated pathway to clinical proof-of-concept through four integrated
service lines: Consulting, Clinical Trials, Human Challenge Trials, and
Laboratories.

 

·    Consulting
(https://www.hvivo.com/solutions/drug-development-consulting) provides
expert-led preclinical and clinical strategy, encompassing non-clinical,
clinical, CMC, pharmacokinetics, data management, biostatistics, and
regulatory support to guide trial design, execution, and interpretation.

·    Clinical Trials (https://www.hvivo.com/solutions/clinical/) offers
Phase I/II CRO services, Phase II/III site services across the UK and Germany,
and specialist recruitment through FluCamp (http://www.flucamp.com/) ,
Europe's largest recruitment database.

·    Human Challenge Trials
(https://www.hvivo.com/solutions/human-challenge) leverages hVIVO's
state-of-the-art quarantine facility in London - the largest of its kind
worldwide - to deliver fast, controlled, high-quality efficacy data through
guaranteed viral exposure.

·    Laboratories (https://www.hvivo.com/solutions/laboratory) provides
cutting-edge virology and immunology laboratory services, including biobanking
and sample storage, supporting both challenge trials and standalone client
studies.

 

 

 

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