Who We Are
Austrianni is a biotech company with the mission to develop diagnostics and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases of worldwide importance.
The company was established by the founders of Trianni, the Californian technology company that developed the Trianni human antibody platform and licensed it globally. Using this platform, Austrianni develops human therapeutic antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and pathogenic E. coli. Antibodies to some of the bacterial targets are also being developed as diagnostics.
The Health
Problem We Will
Help to Solve
Tuberculosis
Imagine taking a bus. Across from you, a man is coughing frequently—he might have tuberculosis (TB). If so, he could spread the infection through tiny airborne droplets released by coughing or sneezing. When inhaled, these droplets can carry Mycobacterium tuberculosis into your lungs. Your immune system may fight it , but if the bacteria establish an infection, you join the one-quarter of the world’s population carrying TB.
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Most infected people never develop symptoms—only 1 in 10 cases progress to active TB. In its latent stage, the bacteria remain contained in immune cell clusters called granulomas, often detected only by chance during medical scans. However, if these granulomas break down—due to a weakened immune system or unknown reasons—TB can become active. Every year, 10 million people worldwide develop the disease.
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TB is treatable, but the long antibiotic course (4–9 months) has side effects that may lead to incomplete treatment, increasing the risk of drug resistance. About 5% of TB cases are multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB), affecting 400,000 people annually. If the bacteria resist core TB drugs (extensively drug-resistant TB), treatment becomes even harder, requiring quarantine and costly care.
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Austrianni is tackling this challenge with antibody-based therapies targeting multiple bacterial components. Learn more about our innovative approach on our Technology and Diagnostics pages.
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Infections caused by
pathogenic Escherichia coli
We coexist with 40 trillion bacteria, mostly in our colon. About 0.1% are E. coli, which aid digestion, prevent harmful bacteria from growing, and produce vitamin K. However, when E. coli spreads to the wrong place, it can cause infections responsible for 80–95% of urinary tract infections.
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Some E. coli strains live in the guts of cows, sheep, and goats. While harmless to the animals, these bacteria can cause serious illness in humans, leading to abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, kidney disease, and sometimes death. In some cases, infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children in Europe and the Americas. Once infected, there are limited treatment options to prevent the syndrome’s development.
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Some E. coli bacteria, normally harmless in the gut, can cause urinary tract infections, nephritis, and sepsis. A few E. coli clones, spread worldwide, are responsible for most urinary tract and bloodstream infections. One clone, recently emerged as a major threat, is now a “critical priority pathogen” due to its rapid spread and multidrug resistance, a trait shared by many other dangerous pathogens.
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Antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine, making infections harder to treat and procedures like surgery, C-sections, and chemotherapy, riskier. At Austrianni, we develop antibodies as an alternative to antibiotics to fight multidrug-resistant pathogens.
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Diagnostics
When we visit a doctor, we want to know what’s causing our illness— whether it’s a viral or bacterial infection. Large hospitals have labs for this, but what about doctors with limited resources or even people testing themselves? The COVID-19 pandemic introduced us to „Lateral Flow Assays,“ like pregnancy tests. These tests use a few drops of urine and a red line, made of colloidal gold particles attached to antibodies, to show the result.
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Point-of-care tests are done at the site of care—home, doctor’s practice, or hospital—ensuring prompt action. In cases like sepsis, they can be lifesaving. For public health, these tests reduce infection spread by encouraging self-isolation. Quick, accurate TB detection helps curb its spread and supports the WHO’s goal to reduce TB deaths by 95% and incidence by 90% by 2035.
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For TB testing, point-of-care tests must be simple and affordable. At Austrianni, we’ve created the world’s largest collection of monoclonal antibodies targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens. Using antibodies against secreted proteins, we’re developing fast, reliable diagnostics for point-of-care and clinical testing.
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Management
Gloria Esposito, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Esposito obtained her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the La Sapienza University of Rome. During this period she worked extensively in antibody engineering and on the development of therapeutic
Matthias Wabl, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer and Acting Chairman
Dr. Wabl was a co-founder of Sagres Discovery, Inc. (now Novartis), where he served as President and as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, and most recently he was the Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman of
Science Advisors
Werner Müller, Ph.D.
Dr. Müller received his Ph.D. from the University of Cologne, where he was a pioneer in generating countless transgenic mice now used all over the World. He was one of the founding members of the IMGT database, which
Michel Streuli, Ph.D.
Dr. Michel Streuli is Chief Executive Officer of Foundery Innovations, an immunotherapy venture studio. Prior to Foundery, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
Prof. Sir Stewart Thomas Cole KCMG FRS
Professor Stewart Cole is an internationally renowned microbiologist working in global health. He has made outstanding contributions to HIV and HPV genomics, antimicrobial resistance research
Our Team
In our quest to combat tuberculosis, we have assembled an enthusiastic multinational team from Austria, Cameroon, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, and the United States.
World TB Incidence
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more than a million people each year and incapacitates ten times more. One quarter of the world’s population is infected with TB, and TB is among the top 10 causes of death world-wide. While it is currently most prevalent in low-income countries, cases arise everywhere. Adding to the health crisis, drug-resistant forms of the disease emerge as a major threat especially in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, but they may become even more widespread.
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