Biopharmaceuticals to combat emerging viruses

Cláudio Manuel Soares

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal

The emergence of viral diseases such as influenza and COVID-19 threatens global health and socio-economic stability. For this reason, it is vital to be able to respond rapidly and effectively to viral threats and outbreaks. This requires targeted therapeutic solutions and, in this context, biopharmaceuticals can play a key role, precisely because of their high potential specificity. However, their use requires rapid development and production strategies.

In this project, with a view to resolving this problem, the researchers aim to build an integrated platform able to design new molecules that are potentially active against a given threat and validate them in vitro. The platform, known as BioPlaTTAR, will accelerate the development of biopharmaceuticals for specific pathogens in emergency situations.

At first, the researchers will focus on the influenza and COVID-19 viruses. Their results could pave the way for new treatments to be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with small molecules and vaccines. In the future this platform can be adapted to new viral outbreaks. This will boost the competitiveness and self-sufficiency of Europe in the field of biopharmaceutical development.

• Ana Salomé Veiga, Instituto de Medicina Molecular-iMM, Portugal

• Maria João Amorim, Católica Biomedical Research Center (CBR), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, e Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal

• José Maria Valpuesta, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), España

The BioPlaTTAR Platform for the Tailored and Rapid Development of Antiviral Biopharmaceuticals

€1,000,000