Preparedness Against Newly emerging Viruses: Innovations in Research, Intervention, and Drug Evolution – PANVIRIDE

Funder: Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.5 - Cascade Call "One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases” COC-1-2023-CNR INF-ACT P00000007, CUP B53C20040570005;

Award Number: Cascade Call "One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases – Spoke 5" COC-1-2023-CNR;

Start date: 03.04.2024

End date: 10.10.2025(?)

Total NRRP funding for the cascade call: € 1.999.831,25

Total NRRP funding for Unipr: € 799.931,25 

Objectives

The PANVIRIDE research program will support the activities of INF-ACT Spoke 5 in addressing the pressing global challenge of emerging viral threats by developing broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAs) capable of inhibiting multiple viruses, with a focus on respiratory and vector-borne viruses. With the ongoing evolution of viruses and their growing pandemic potential, the limitations of available antiviral drugs have become evident. In this frame, PANVIRIDE’s mission is to accelerate the development of new antiviral drug candidates with a broad-spectrum of activity, to tackle current and future outbreaks, or the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. 

Specifically, two main objectives will be pursued: 

1. O1) Short-term objective - fast track identification of broad- spectrum preclinical candidates starting from in-house antiviral Lead-like molecules; 
2. O2) Medium-term objective - rational optimization of the wide in-house collection of antiviral Hits, targeting either/both viral or/and host proteins involved in the replication of multiple viruses.

Activities

The PANVIRIDE Network’s activities have been organized into seven highly integrated Work Packages (WPs), all aimed at developing new broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAs). 

• WP1-Coordination and Management 
• WP2-Drug Design and Bioinformatics 
• WP3-Synthesis and Optimization 
• WP4-In vitro Screening 
• WP5-Antiviral Screening 
• WP6-Enabling Technologies 
• WP7-Dissemination and Exploitation 

To achieve the project goal, namely the development of new broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAs), we will pursue three distinct and alternative approaches to the traditional one-drug/one-virus paradigm: 1) The “one-drug, multiple viruses” approach; 2) The “host-targeting antivirals” approach; 3) The “mechanistic-informed phenotypic approach”. All these approaches will start from solid preliminary data, which will be implemented and exploited within the multidisciplinary PANVIRIDE platform.

The University of Parma is the lead institution of the PANVIRIDE network and will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Leader of Work Package 1
• Leader of Work Package 6
• Co-leader of Work Package 7
• Chair of the Management Board
• Chair of the Steering and Executive Board

• Department of Food and Drug
• Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
• Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences

The extended partnership is composed of both public and private entities, such as:

• Università degli Studi di Parma (UNIPR)
• Università degli Studi di Perugia (UNIPG)
• Università degli Studi di Pisa (UNIPI)
• Università degli Studi di Sassari (UNISS)
• Università degli Studi di Salerno (UNISA)
• Università “Magna Græcia” di Catanzaro (UMG)
• ViroStatics S.r.l (VS)

PANVIRIDE aims to develop and deliver novel BSAs to combat emerging viral infections effectively and rapidly. The consortium’s experience in antiviral drug discovery, will lead to the identification of preclinical drug candidates or a synergistic combination of two drugs by exploiting the wide range of preliminary data already available within the network.

The PANVIRIDE consortium is well-positioned to meet the urgent need for effective antivirals in the context of infectious disease management and public health preparedness and response. Thus, the project is expected to make significant contribution towards solving one of the most pressing problems worldwide: infectious disease management and public health preparedness and response towards emerging and potentially pandemic viruses.

INF-ACT Foundation: One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases