NIAID is awarding more than $12 million to develop antiviral therapies

NIAID is awarding more than $12 million to develop antiviral therapies

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, recently awarded more than $12 million to three institutions to develop antiviral therapies to treat diseases caused by viruses with pandemic potential. NIAID can award a total of approximately $61.5 million over five years if all contract options are exercised. The new product development contracts are part of the Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP), which aims to accelerate the discovery, development and manufacturing of antiviral drugs.

Antivirals are treatments that fight viral infections by acting directly against the virus. Other types of therapies not the focus of this program use the body's immune system to fight infections. The new contracts will support the development of promising antiviral candidates from late-stage preclinical studies through activities to enable new drug applications and clinical trials.

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In addition to the new product development contracts, NIAID already supports nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern. The AViDD centers conduct research on the early identification and validation of novel viral targets and the identification and early characterization of antiviral drug candidates.

The new product development contracts include:

Optimization of broad-spectrum filovirus inhibitors targeting viral glycoprotein

Principal Investigator: Terry Bowlin, Ph.D.
Institute: Microbiotix, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts
Base Financing Amount: $2,069,416
NIAID Contract: 75N93023C00001

Development of a novel 2-pyrimidone (SRI-42718) as a potent inhibitor of chikungunya virus infections and diseases

Principal Investigator: Daniel Streblow, Ph.D.
Institute: Oregon Health and Science University, Portland
Base Financing Amount: $4,696,452
NIAID Contract: 75N93023C00002

Development of an orally available antiviral drug against yellow fever

Principal Investigator: Jinhong Chang, MD, Ph.D.
Institute: Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Base Funding Amount: $5,493,876
NIAID Contract: 75N93023C00003

Further information about the APP can be found at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/antivirals.

Source:

National Institutes of Health

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