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We are joining forces to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19).
COVID-19 has become an urgent global health emergency, and there are currently limited treatment options or vaccines. To quickly identify existing drugs that act as antivirals that can be rapidly deployed to reduce COVID-19 morbidities and mortalities, we have initiated a drug repurposing campaign.
The Team
  • Sumit Chanda, PhD: A pioneering systems virologist whose research has revealed virus-host interaction maps for influenza, HIV, and other important pathogens, and has uncovered a novel curative strategy for HIV which is entering the clinic
  • Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD:A leading researcher in respiratory viruses who established reverse genetics systems for influenza and led the team which reconstructed the 1918 influenza pandemic virus.
  • Arnab Chatterjee, PhD: An industry trained medicinal chemist and drug hunter who has successfully lead drug discovery programs for neglected infectious diseases, including malaria, TB, and other global health challenges. His team has built the best-in-class drug repurposing library (ReFrame) that will be used in this study.
  • Kwok-Yung Yuen, MD: A world renown expert in infectious disease who discovered the SARS coronavirus and its bat reservoir, and leading current research effort focused on SARS-CoV-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Strategy
  • High-throughput screen more than 12,000 FDA-approved and clinical stage drugs for antiviral activity against COVID-19
  • “Hits” of these known drugs will be validated in our research labs.
  • Active compounds will enter clinical evaluation overseen by University of Hong Kong.
Because we are testing drugs that have already been found to safe in humans, less time and less investment is needed to find a solution.
Given the urgency of this health crisis, we are diverting our existing research resources to this program. But we need additional funds to sustain the effort and find the right drug. Please consider contacting us to discuss how you can support our effort. Email Andrea Davidson at adavidson@sbpdiscovery.org