Anti-viral phosphoramidates for treating SARS-CoV and influenza

Applications

• SARS-CoV-2 Treatment
• Coronavirus Treatment
• Influenza Treatment

Key Benefits & Differentiators

• Counters drug resistance: This approach relies on a cellular target essential to the life-cycle of the virus
• Effective treatment: Capable of fully suppressing SARS-CoV-2 proliferation by 48 h at nanomolar concentrations

Technology Overview

There is a need both now and in the future for drugs that can suppress coronavirus proliferation and drug resistance, especially SARS-CoV-2 and variants. While vaccines targeted at specific variants have helped stem the spread of the disease, there remains a need for treatments against future variants and other coronaviruses that may emerge. Currently, there are no drug therapies that can address the potential for SARS-CoV-2 drug resistance should it arise. Development of an antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 that can be effective against any variant and potentially against any coronavirus would address this issue.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a method for treating SARS-CoV-2 that relies on a cellular target that is essential to the life-cycle of the virus and therefore extremely difficult to develop resistance to. This method utilizes patent-protected antiviral compounds (UMN Case 20180103) targeting the translation initiation factor, eIF4E with phosphoramidates. Demonstrations have shown that the antagonists of eIF4E are non-toxic and capable of fully suppressing SARS-CoV-2 proliferation by 48 h at nanomolar concentrations. This method provides an alternative treatment to SARS-CoV-2 with the potential to be used to treat severe influenza cases and future strains of acute respiratory syndrome.

Phase of Development

Desired Partnerships

• License
• Sponsored research
• Co-development

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Researchers

• Carston Wagner, PhD Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry