About viruses and viral disease
Viruses infect billions, kill millions and cost trillions.
It’s time we did something about them.
Viral pandemics are an existential threat
Covid-19 was not the first pandemic, and it won't be the last. Forecasts indicate a 25% chance that a pandemic on the scale of Covid-19 will occur within the next ten years.
There were 17 outbreaks of dangerous diseases in 2024, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by viruses. These include Marburg, Mpox and H5N1 Avian Influenza.
Historically, viruses have caused immense suffering and loss of life:
• The 1918 Influenza pandemic killed between 50 and 100 million people [1]
• Smallpox killed as many as 300 million in the 20th century alone [2]
Viral diseases cause widespread suffering and death
There are 1 billion flu cases annually, killing up to 500,000 people and costing billions in lost productivity.
Half the world’s population is at risk from Dengue, which is spreading rapidly and increasing in severity.
Rotavirus causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea that kills hundreds of thousands of children each year.
Viruses cause cancer
It’s estimated that viruses cause 10 to 20% of all cancers. That’s a minimum of 1,400,000 cases annually.
Cervical cancer
More than 90% of cervical cancer is caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV), resulting in 342,000 deaths annually. [3]
Liver cancer
Hepatitis B virus accounts for more than 60% of liver cancer, while Hepatitis C virus is also linked to chronic liver disease and cancer. [4]
Nose and throat cancers
Up to 9o% of adults worldwide have Epstein Barr Virus, which is strongly linked to lymphomas and cancers of the nose and throat. [5]
OUR SOLUTION:
We’re advancing a pipeline of broad-spectrum antivirals
Kimer Med is taking on the global health challenges of viral disease and future pandemic threats.