Imagine having a master key that opens many different locks instead of one key for every single door. This project creates medicines that target the basic parts of many different RNA viruses rather than just one specific strain. This means we can treat patients immediately when a new virus appears, without waiting months for a custom vaccine.
Vaccines take too long to develop during a new outbreak, leaving a dangerous gap in treatment. There is a lack of ready-to-use, broad-spectrum antivirals that can stop multiple virus strains immediately.
A drug discovery pipeline that identifies broad-spectrum antiviral hits and advances two of them to the early lead stage with animal model proof of concept.
If you are a drug discovery firm dealing with the high failure rate of virus-specific drugs — this project developed 25 to 50 high-quality hit molecules that target conserved viral functions. This provides a diversified portfolio of starting points for new antiviral medications.
If you are a biotech startup dealing with slow hit-to-lead timelines — this project developed an integrated pipeline using machine-learning and in silico screening. This accelerates the identification of druggable targets in high-risk RNA viruses.
If you are a health agency dealing with the time gap between a virus outbreak and vaccine distribution — this project developed broad-spectrum compounds for five RNA virus families. These can be stockpiled for immediate use to reduce virus shedding and lower the R0.
Based on available project data, no specific pricing or cost per unit is provided as the project is in the research and development phase.
The project focuses on hit-to-lead development and proof of concept in animal models. Industrial scaling data is not yet available in the current project scope.
The project aims to deliver 25 to 50 hit molecules and two early-lead candidates. Licensing would likely center on these specific chemical series and the identified druggable targets.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2027-12-31. Since it targets the 'early lead stage', clinical trials and regulatory approval would follow this period.
The workflow integrates phenotypic screening, structure-based design, and AI-based methods to accelerate the hit discovery pipeline.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward research and academia, with 7 universities and 5 research institutes. However, it maintains a practical translation bridge with 3 industry partners (18% industry ratio) and 17 total partners across 8 countries, ensuring that the medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics expertise is balanced with academic virology.
Contact Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden for lead-stage compound data.
Contact SciTransfer to identify licensing opportunities for the 25-50 hit molecules.
