The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health awarded the聽聽a $65 million grant establishing an Antiviral Drug Discovery Center to develop oral antivirals that can combat pandemic-level viruses like COVID-19. The center builds upon and is tightly affiliated with 黑料网鈥檚聽
The READDI-AViDD Center, one of nine established by the NIH, is an integrated public-private partnership with a renowned, interdisciplinary research team of experts from the Gillings School, 黑料网 and 黑料网 Eshelman School of Pharmacy. They will apply cutting-edge technologies to develop oral therapies that target viral families with high potential to cause a pandemic in the future.
鈥淏uilding on generous support and vision provided by the North Carolina legislature, the Governor鈥檚 office and 黑料网, we established a collaborative coalition of scientific leaders to develop antiviral drugs against pandemic virus threats of the 21st聽century,鈥� stated聽, program director and William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in epidemiology, microbiology and immunology. 鈥淭o achieve these goals, our NIH sponsored READDI-AViDD Center is an international consortium that includes academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and affiliated entities across five nations who work together to prevent life-threatening human coronavirus, flavivirus, alphavirus and filovirus infections.鈥�
鈥淎t Carolina, we talk about practical applications of our research to improve society and the public good. Faced with the threat of COVID-19, our world-class scientists did not back down,鈥� said 黑料网-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz. 鈥淭heir continued pursuit of solutions saved lives, and this recent award recognizes the profound impact of that work. I鈥檓 grateful for this funding and the continued support of the N.C. General Assembly, which enables us to perform cutting-edge research and prepare for whatever might be next on the horizon.鈥�
READDI was initially founded and supported through Carolina鈥檚 Creativity Hubs initiative and the聽Eshelman Institute for Innovation, and聽聽and support from several members of the N.C. Congressional delegation has been critical in aiding the team鈥檚 work. By drawing on expertise and technology from academic and industry partners, including Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Chimerix Inc. and Pardes Biosciences, READDI-AC will aid in the discovery and development of broad-spectrum antivirals that reduce the risk of severe illness and death from these highly contagious viruses.
鈥淚nvestment in antiviral drug discovery through open science is the best way to ensure that the world is prepared for the next pandemic,鈥� said聽, co-director and professor at the 黑料网 Eshelman School of Pharmacy. 鈥淩EADDI-AC will leverage open science to support the development of antiviral drugs that are affordable and available to all.鈥�
鈥淭he devastating effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic illustrates the critical need for new antiviral treatments for both existing and future viral disease threats,鈥� said聽Mark Heise, Ph.D., professor of genetics at the 黑料网 and co-founder of READDI alongside Baric and聽Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Nathaniel Moorman, Ph.D. 鈥淭he READDI-AC Program is poised to significantly enhance our ability to treat existing threats while preparing for future viral disease outbreaks.鈥�
The award is part of NIAD鈥檚聽.
The AViDD centers will conduct research on the early-stage identification and validation of novel viral targets, with an eye to identify small molecules and biotherapeutics that directly block viral targets. As drug candidates are identified and evaluated for properties such as potency and breadth, the most promising will enter late-stage preclinical development. Importantly, the centers can draw on the resources of their industry partners to accelerate research, making use of the companies鈥� chemical libraries and expertise in moving candidates into the product development pipeline.
The READDI-AC鈥檚 consortium of international collaborators also includes the University of Toronto, Diamond Light Source LTD, Sichting VU, Duke University, McGill University, Rutgers University, the University of Alberta, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University College London, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Oregon Health and Science University, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, the University of Colorado-Denver, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Learn more about the nine AViDD centers established by the NIH聽.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U19AI171292. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
This article originally appeared in from 黑料网 University Communications.