# RAPIDLY EMERGING ANTIVIRAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE- AViDD CENTER (READDI-AC)

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $65,483,194

## Abstract

PROGRAM SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Emerging viruses arise suddenly and cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. To prepare for
current and future threats, public-private partnerships are needed to change the current reactive response
platform into one that is proactive. In response to RFA-AI-21-050, the Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug
Development Initiatives AViDD Center (READDI-AC) is an integrated public-private partnership with a renowned,
interdisciplinary research team of experts, who apply cutting edge innovative technologies in virology,
biochemistry, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, computational biology, structure-guided drug design and
genomics to develop oral, potent, broad-spectrum family-specific antivirals for coronaviruses, flaviviruses,
alphaviruses and filoviruses. To achieve these goals, the READDI-AC program includes academic leaders in
basic and applied antiviral research and chemistry as well as industry leaders Janssen Pharmaceuticals
N.V.(JPNV), Takeda, Chimerix Inc. and Pardes Biosciences. Our commercial partners provide an enviable track
records in drug discovery and product development, and leadership in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug
formulation, toxicity studies and pharmacokinetics, especially critical for driving optimized leads through preIND
enabling studies toward the clinic. Importantly, our industry partners also provide in kind matching contributions,
access to high quality commercial chemical libraries, early hits, optimized leads, and state of the art high-
throughput screens. The immediate and long-term goals of READDI-AC are to: a) validate druggable targets in
conserved viral proteins, b) identify hits and leads using SAR and state of the art biochemical and enzymatic
assays, c) optimize/formulate chemical probes and lead compounds as broadly acting oral compounds with
activity against multiple relevant members of each emerging virus family; d) provide critical late-stage preclinical
development and IND-enabling in vivo studies for two broadly active, oral drug candidates; e) promote open
science sharing of unused chemical assets, chemical probes, methods, reagents and assays for innovations by
crowdsourcing; f) build capacity and training in 21st century viral drug discovery and development by coupling
innovative approaches in target discovery and validation with state of the art techniques, integrated workflows
and novel discovery platforms for hit to lead progression and SAR optimization. READDI-AC has five Research
Projects and four highly interactive cores that establish a cooperative landscape that builds leadership, expertise,
response capacity and partnerships that invigorate 21st century drug development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10513679
- **Project number:** 1U19AI171292-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Ralph S Baric
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $65,483,194
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-16 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10513679

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10513679, RAPIDLY EMERGING ANTIVIRAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE- AViDD CENTER (READDI-AC) (1U19AI171292-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10513679. Licensed CC0.

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