Therapeutic agents for viral infections using nucleoside and nucleotide analogues

This technology is an antiviral drug candidate that blocks the replication of RNA viruses.

Unmet Need: Antiviral drugs that inhibit RNA replication and bypass viral proofreading

Positive-stranded RNA viruses, including coronaviruses, flaviviruses, and alphaviruses, depend on RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) to replicate. Coronaviruses possess an exonuclease proofreading function that makes the development of nucleotide-based drugs challenging, as it corrects replication errors during viral replication. As such, antiviral nucleoside inhibitors, including Remdesivir and Sofosbuvir, have limited efficacy against certain viruses. Therefore, there is a critical need for new drugs that can effectively bypass viral proofreading ability and ultimately block the replication process.

The Technology: Modified RdRp inhibitor as an effective antiviral therapeutic

This technology is a series of modified Remdesivir analogs and related compounds designed as antiviral drugs to target RNA viruses. The modification includes two ester prodrugs that enhance activation inside cells and act as an RdRp terminator. These prodrugs demonstrated greater antiviral activity than Remdesivir and Sofosbuvir solutions against dengue and chikungunya viruses.

Applications:

• Antiviral therapy for dengue virus, zika virus, yellow fever virus, chikungunya virus, and eastern equine encephalitis virus
• Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infections
• Synthesis of RdRp inhibitors
• Combination therapies

Advantages:

• Bypasses viral proofreading
• Higher efficacy than existing drugs
• Modification of an existing FDA-approved drug
• Compatible with the current cycle of care for viral infections

Lead Inventor:

Jingyue Ju, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU25201

• Licensing Contact: Cynthia Lang