# Antiviral Efficacy and Resistance Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH · 2022 · $6,599,276

## Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause severe morbidity and mortality in the current pandemic and future RNA virus
pandemics are inevitable. Clinical-trial-ready antivirals are lacking for all RNA viruses of pandemic potential. It
is imperative that the world have access to an arsenal of compounds ready to be deployed into clinical trials at
the earliest stages of future pandemics. Beyond coronaviruses; flaviviruses and picornaviruses have caused
frequent and ongoing epidemics around the world and there are currently no effective therapeutics available.
These viral families have proven to be major threats to the human population and novel IND-ready
therapeutics will be critical for our future pandemic preparedness.
The ASAP AViDD Center is dedicated to the development of novel chemical matter with antiviral activity
against these three viral families. The focus on targets refractory to antiviral resistance by Project 1: Antiviral
Targeting to Suppress Drug Resistance and the Target Enabling Packages (TEPs) developed by Project 2:
Target Enablement are highly innovative approaches that will allow the ASAP consortium to efficiently develop
novel antivirals with the potential for sustained clinical success. The Antiviral Efficacy and Resistance Core
plays an essential role in the ASAP Center, firstly as the primary site for in vitro screening and primary cell
models, with support from Johan Neyts {KU Leuven) as a secondary in vitro screening laboratory. We will also
perform comprehensive in vitro and in vivo antiviral resistance analysis and drug combination studies. Finally,
we will work closely with Projects 1-6, the NIAID, and industry partners to select leads to move into in vivo
analysis and determine the therapeutic efficacy of antiviral leads against these three viral families in advanced
animal models of viral infection. We have assembled a team of investigators in our core with decades of
experience in cell culture and advanced animal models for the analysis of antiviral countermeasures against
the target viral families.
A major goal of the ASAP Center is the identification and development of 3 oral antiviral drug candidates with
suitable safety profiles for broad use in the outpatient setting. We have placed an emphasis on the
identification of novel antiviral targets using advanced resistance-refractory target selection, Al-based
fragment-based screening, structural enablement of these targets, and a comprehensive efficacy and
resistance analysis. The Antiviral Efficacy and Resistance Core will be integrated into the ASAP platform by
working with the consortium, the NIAID, and industry partners to select 45-50 of our top antiviral leads to test in
our advanced animal models of viral infection. We will then advance up to 15 advanced leads into
comprehensive in vivo efficacy analysis, and finally select 3 leads to move into in vivo resistance mutation
analysis and drug combination studies using well-established methods in our laboratories.
Project S...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10513869
- **Project number:** 1U19AI171399-01
- **Recipient organization:** SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** John Damon Chodera
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $6,599,276
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-16 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10513869

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10513869, Antiviral Efficacy and Resistance Core (1U19AI171399-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10513869. Licensed CC0.

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