Traws Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRAW) shares are up during Friday’s session, trading higher by 25.86% as the company is advancing potential clinical candidates for the treatment of hantavirus infections.

Traws Pharma (TRAW) Advances Hantavirus Antiviral Candidates

The Newtown, Pennsylvania-based company recently announced plans to advance investigational antiviral agents to combat hantavirus infections, a critical focus given the challenges posed by resistant viral strains.

The company is already developing small-molecule antiviral drugs against negative-strand RNA family viruses, including influenza, the deadly H5N1 bird flu, SARS-CoV-2, and others.

Viruses in this group face unique obstacles in replicating their genome and expressing viral gene proteins.

Evolved solutions to these problems create unique targets for the development of small-molecule antiviral drugs.

Because viral target proteins and their mechanisms of action do not exist in humans, the corresponding antiviral drugs generally have high specificity and safety.

Countries Launch Contact Tracing After Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak

Health authorities across several countries have launched contact tracing and monitoring measures after a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius left three people dead and prompted global surveillance efforts.

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Reuters reported on Thursday that five cases have been confirmed so far, while another three remain suspected.

The report added that the Andean strain identified in some patients can, in rare cases, spread between humans, though the WHO stressed the risk to the broader public remains low.

U.S. Agencies Monitor Returning Passengers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is closely monitoring the outbreak and described the public risk as "extremely low." ABC News reported that the CDC classified the incident as a Level 3 emergency response.

In April, Traws Pharm announced a private placement of around $10.0 million.

The financing will position Traws Pharma to complete the Challenge trial in the U.K., and includes up to $50 million of additional gross proceeds from milestone-based and three-year warrants.

TRAW Price Action: Traws Pharma shares were up 30.59% at $2.22 at the time of publication Friday, according to Benzinga Pro. Over the past month, TRAW has gained about 31.6% versus a 8.8% rise in the S&P 500 and is up roughly 93% year-to-date compared to the index’s 7.4% gain.

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