Triangle nonprofit works to develop antiviral drug to prep for future pandemic

More than three years ago, businesses were closed, and a sense of uncertainty cloaked over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus killed roughly 1.13 million people in the U.S., according to the World Health Organization.

A Triangle nonprofit is working to develop an antiviral drug to prevent a repeat situation. It was the focus on a symposium Wednesday on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus.

“In every one of those emergencies I’ve been in, often, it’s the lack of diagnostics, the lack of therapeutics, the lack of vaccines that doesn’t give us the right tools we need,” said Dean Nancy Messonnier of UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.

The Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative, or READDI, has a goal to avoid serious illness, hospitalizations and death the next time a virus starts spreading.

“It’s about the marathon of preparedness before day zero,” said Charlotte Baker, Deputy Head of the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat.

In contrast to the vaccine, researchers say these drugs in development can be shipped without the same preservation challenges and swallowed with a glass of water.

“Historically, antiviral drug development has not been commercially attractive. Academics engage in small molecule drug discovery efforts, but they lack the development capability and resources of the pharmaceutical industry,” according to the nonprofit.

Baker traveled from London to be in Chapel Hill for the meeting. She said pandemic preparedness requires having all of the necessary tools to fight it, including the proper medication.

According to the university, the research is founded on the fact that all viruses in a virus family originate from a single ancestor and, therefore, share common methods for hijacking cells and making us sick. READDI’s small molecule antivirals work by disrupting the viral lifecycle.

READDI CEO Jimmy Rosen said the company needs at least $35 million to get started. However, to be comfortable with the company’s initial efforts, he says READDI needs about $100 million.

In 2022, the general assembly allocated $18 million for the READDI program.