Virios Therapeutics Stock Price, News & Analysis

Virios Therapeutics, Inc. (historically traded on Nasdaq under the ticker VIRI) is described in its public disclosures as a development-stage biotechnology company. The company focuses on advancing novel antiviral therapies to treat diseases that are associated with a viral-triggered abnormal immune response, such as fibromyalgia ("FM") and Long-COVID ("LC"). Its approach centers on the hypothesis that activation of tissue-resident herpesviruses may contribute to chronic illnesses characterized by waxing and waning symptoms.

According to multiple company press releases, Virios Therapeutics’ lead development candidates are proprietary, fixed-dose combinations of an antiviral compound and celecoxib. These combinations are designed to synergistically suppress herpesvirus replication, with the stated goal of reducing virally promoted disease symptoms. One of these candidates, IMC-1, is described as a fixed-dosage combination of famciclovir and celecoxib and has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a potential treatment for fibromyalgia.

The company has highlighted a scientific rationale in which overactive immune responses and reactivation of tissue-resident herpesviruses are postulated as potential root causes of several chronic conditions. In its communications, Virios Therapeutics notes that this framework has been applied to FM and LC and has also been postulated for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and functional somatic syndromes. These conditions are described as having a pattern of fluctuating symptoms, often associated with events that compromise the immune system.

Virios Therapeutics has supported clinical research around its LC program, including investigator-initiated studies. Company disclosures describe a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept study conducted by the Bateman Horne Center that evaluates IMC-2, a proprietary combination of valacyclovir and celecoxib, as a potential treatment for fatigue and other LC symptoms. Prior open-label exploratory work sponsored by the company is reported to have shown reductions in LC-associated fatigue, orthostatic intolerance, pain and anxiety when patients were treated with the valacyclovir and celecoxib combination.

In addition to its LC work, Virios Therapeutics has communicated that it is seeking partners to advance IMC-1 into Phase 3 development for fibromyalgia. The company has also referenced patent activity, including a global patent application titled "Valacyclovir and Celecoxib for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s and COVID-19" published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, which covers use of IMC-2 and is described as a step toward pursuing patent protection in multiple jurisdictions.

A significant corporate development for Virios Therapeutics is documented in an October 7, 2024 press release announcing a definitive share exchange agreement involving Wex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its indirect parent, Sealbond Limited. Under this all-stock business combination (the "Combination"), Virios Therapeutics and Wex Pharmaceuticals agreed to combine, with the post-transaction entity to be named Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. The release states that, effective October 9, 2024, the company would change its name from "Virios Therapeutics, Inc." to "Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc." and that its common stock would cease trading under the ticker symbol "VIRI" and begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "DWTX".

The same Combination announcement describes the combined company’s clinical focus on three assets: Halneuron, IMC-1 and IMC-2. Halneuron is described as being in Phase 2b development for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and having received Fast Track designation from the FDA for that indication. IMC-2 is described as being in Phase 2 development for Long-COVID, while IMC-1 is described as Phase 3 development–ready for fibromyalgia and also holding FDA Fast Track designation.

Subsequent SEC filings made under the Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. name confirm that the post-Combination entity continues as a Delaware corporation with the same Commission file number that previously applied to Virios Therapeutics. These filings, including Form 8-K reports from 2025, reference Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. and reflect ongoing corporate governance and compensation matters, indicating that Dogwood functions as the successor to Virios Therapeutics for reporting purposes.

For investors and researchers reviewing the historical VIRI symbol, it is therefore important to recognize that VIRI represents the pre-Combination identity of the company that is now operating and filing reports as Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. under the ticker DWTX on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Historical information about Virios Therapeutics’ antiviral programs for FM and LC, and the evolution of IMC-1 and IMC-2, forms part of the broader pipeline now described under the Dogwood Therapeutics name.