UNC-Chapel Hill receives $65 million from NIH for antiviral drug development center | UNC-Chapel Hill
Summary
They will apply cutting-edge technologies to develop oral therapies that target viral families with high potential to cause a pandemic in the future.Building on generous support and vision provided by the North Carolina legislature, the Governors office and UNC, we established a collaborative coalition of scientific leaders to develop antiviral drugs against pandemic virus threats of the 21st century, stated Ralph Baric, program director and William R. Kenan, Jr. To 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.At Carolina, we talk about practical applications of our research to improve society and the public good. 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.Investment in antiviral drug discovery through open science is the best way to ensure that the world is prepared for the next pandemic, said Tim Willson, co-director and professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. READDI-AC will leverage open science to support the development of antiviral drugs that are affordable and available to all.The devastating effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic illustrates the critical need for new antiviral treatments for both existing and future viral disease threats, said Mark Heise, professor of genetics at the UNC School of Medicine and co-founder of READDI alongside Baric and Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Nathaniel Moorman. As drug candidates are identified and evaluated for properties such as potency and breadth, the most promising will enter late-stage preclinical development.