# Center of Excellence for Encephalitic Alphavirus Therapeutics

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR · 2022 · $934,276

## Abstract

Abstract
Original U19 Parent Award Program. The proposed Center of Excellence for Encephalitic Alphavirus
Therapeutics program proposes to advance the development of potent small molecule leads targeting
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine
encephalitis virus (WEEV) or V/E/WEEV herein. The collaborations among the scientists at University of
Louisville (UofL; Chung), University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW; Golden, Elder), University of Tennessee Health
Science Center (UTHSC; Jonsson, Meibohm, Fitzpatrick) and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
(UTMB; Rossi, Weaver) provides multidisciplinary expertise in virology with relevant expertise in ABSL-3/select
agents, small and large animal models, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and assessment of antiviral
compounds in vitro with mechanism of action capabilities. Moreover, the network has an experienced team to
organize the commercial plan for development of the broad-spectrum antiviral (Encephlavir) for treatment against
V/E/WEEV. The broad, long-range objectives of the Center are to; (1) Optimize the lead quinazolinone series to
identify those with favorable profiles for nonGLP studies with WEEV and EEEV that have broad-spectrum activity
for V/E/WEEV; (2) Define scale-up synthesis of the lead drug substance suitable for later cGMP manufacturing;
(3) Conduct nonclinical virology studies that will aid in the evaluation of the safety and efficacy, the mechanism
of action, target specificity and drug resistance monitoring plan. The proposed multidisciplinary efforts will
advance this lead series through IND-enabling studies. Following the disciplined product development plan, the
ultimate goal of the Center is to move toward a commercially available prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment
for VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV as the primary indication.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10631703
- **Project number:** 3U19AI142762-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Colleen B Jonsson
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $934,276
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-08-12 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10631703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10631703, Center of Excellence for Encephalitic Alphavirus Therapeutics (3U19AI142762-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10631703. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*