Is This the Breakthrough Drug Development We’ve Been Waiting For?
With roots in UC Irvine research, Eira Bio is targeting membrane proteins long considered unreachable by antibody drugs.
Feb. 18, 2026 - Modern drug discovery is better than it’s ever been. We can sequence genomes in hours, predict how proteins behave, and design molecules with increasing precision. Still, vast parts of human biology remain unexplored and untouched. Not because we don’t understand their importance, but because we haven’t had the tools to reach them. That limitation is exactly what a new startup, based on UC Irvine research, hopes to overcome.
Eira Bio, co-founded by Chang Liu, professor and Chancellor’s Fellow of Biomedical Engineering at UC Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering, and led by CEO Thomas Galbo is pioneering a new approach to antibody drug development, one that targets disease-related proteins previously considered out of reach. These proteins, known as multi-pass membrane proteins, are central to the function of healthy cells. They act as gatekeepers, regulating functions like how cells grow, communicate, and respond to their environment. They’re also critical players in diseases such as cancer, autoimmune and metabolic disorders, and fibrosis. But because they’re difficult to produce and their structure collapses when removed from the cell membrane using current methods, they’ve remained out of reach for drug developers — until now.
Engineering Antibodies
Eira Bio’s scientific foundation stems from the labs of Chang Liu and Mo Khalil, a synthetic and systems biologist who recently moved from Boston University to Harvard. The two met through the synthetic biology community, and what began as a professional connection soon evolved into a very productive one.
Khalil’s team figured out how to express these fragile membrane proteins on the surface of yeast cells in a highly efficient and precise way that preserves their natural structure and function. That’s important, because if the protein retains its proper shape, scientists can screen for antibodies that bind to the real, functional version.
Chang Liu’s research focuses on accelerating the evolution of proteins, such as antibodies, to make them better suited for use as drugs. His lab developed a system called OrthoRep, which allows proteins to evolve rapidly and continuously inside yeast cells. It introduces controlled mutations and selects for top-performing variants, helping researchers fine-tune antibodies to bind more strongly, more precisely, or even in entirely new ways. This technology is key to refining antibody candidates after they’re discovered.
Together, these technologies provide a new path forward. Khalil’s work focuses on the discovery side, while Liu’s drives optimization. The combination is powerful. Think of it like a special ops team. Khalil’s systems are the helicopters that fly into previously inaccessible regions, while Liu’s systems are the soldiers on the ground that find their target.
A Platform That Opens Doors
Galbo had helped launch other biotech companies before, so he knew that promising research was only the first step. To move forward, Eira Bio needed a team capable of turning ideas into actual therapies.
“It’s never enough to just have exciting tech,” he says. “You need someone to put it to use.”
One of those people was Holger Wesche, Eira’s chief scientific officer. Wesche is a world-class drug developer who has helped discover and develop multiple antibody therapies.
“He’s a wonderful scientist and person,” Galbo says. “It’s rare to find someone so accomplished who still has that pure excitement and drive—the kind that makes them, quite literally, jump out of bed at 4:30 a.m. because they’re genuinely energized by the science and what’s possible.”
When Wesche got excited about the technology and wanted to help start the company, Galbo saw it as a sign that the science had real potential.
“You always want to ask the smartest people you know, can this really work? And when Holger said yes, that brought a new level of conviction for me,” says Galbo.
Wesche’s strong support was key to attracting a core team of exceptional scientists who shared his enthusiasm and quickly came aboard. “For a small, early-stage startup, attracting this kind of talent is rare,” Galbo says. “It gives us confidence that we can pull this off.”
Eira Bio’s approach isn’t just about developing one or two new treatments; it has the potential to reshape how many antibody-based drugs are discovered. The company’s first program is focused on cancer, but the technology could be applied across a wide range of diseases.
The team has identified promising antibodies and already confirmed that they can successfully bind to their targets that were previously unreachable, validating the potential of their discovery.
“We’re not just aiming to develop one drug,” Galbo says. “We’re building an engine to generate multiple important new medicines. We believe the door is open, and we have the tools and the right team to make it happen.”
Backing Breakthroughs
UC Irvine played a key role in helping Eira Bio get off the ground. In addition to assisting with intellectual property negotiations and research sponsorships, the university provided early-stage funding through its Proof of Product (PoP) grant program. Administered by UCI Beall Applied Innovation, the PoP program helps academic researchers bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and commercial viability by funding technologies with strong real-world potential.
For Liu, this kind of support reflects the unique role universities play in innovation.
“The kind of basic, high-risk research that doesn’t attract immediate investment often happens at universities,” says Liu. “The academic environment, with its long-term support and freedom to explore, is essential for generating ideas that can eventually become breakthrough startups.”
Liu used the PoP funds to help build the system that became a core part of the technology that would eventually drive the company.
“The PoP grant helped us explore early versions of the company’s ideas,” Liu says.
Galbo agrees, noting that the universities’ involvement has been consistent and impactful from day one.
“Both Boston University and UC Irvine really want us to succeed,” he says. “We felt that support from the start. It’s rare and it’s been key to getting the company off the ground. I’m truly grateful for the people at both universities and the partnerships we’ve built.”
That perspective is part of why Eira’s academic roots matter. Galbo also sees the company’s foundation in university research as essential to tackling problems with no easy answers.
“Industry rarely has the ability or patience to work on big problems for 10 or 15 years, not knowing if it will work,” he says. “But in academia, that kind of long-term, curiosity-driven science is possible. That’s often where real breakthroughs first come from.”
A New Playbook
Eira Bio is still early in its journey. The company closed its seed round in early 2025, with Venrock leading the investment. Other backers have since joined, including UC Irvine. The university’s expanding innovation infrastructure now includes programs that allow UC Irvine to invest directly in startups with UC Irvine founders or UC Irvine-owned intellectual property.
“Our mission is to support promising founders spinning out of UCI, like Chang Liu, who are doing truly innovative work,” says Khurram Mir, Managing Director of Corporate Ventures and Innovation. “We hope our investment shows founders that UCI is committed to backing its researchers, and signals to investors that the University truly believes in this technology.”
That kind of institutional backing is especially important when a company is taking on problems that have remained unsolved for decades.
“The idea of getting a drug to market that can help patients is incredibly inspiring,” says Liu. “If we get there, I’ll feel proud to have contributed to something that makes a real impact in people’s lives.”
If it works, this could be more than a breakthrough in antibody drugs. It could rewrite the rules for how science becomes medicine.
More at: https://www.eirabio.com/
– Jill Kato/UCI Beall Applied Innovation
