Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza – Request for proposals 2022/2023

The focus of this PAD Request for Proposals (RfP) is novel antivirals for pandemic influenza. Pandemic influenza remains is a substantial threat to public health. There have been six major influenza epidemics with the 1918 flu pandemic being the most severe, leading to the deaths of 50–100 million people worldwide. There is a need for cheap and safe antiviral compounds that target viral/host proteins and pathways necessary for replication and pathogenesis that are clearly differentiated from currently marketed drugs for seasonal influenza.

RfP opens: 6 October 2022
Deadline: 14 December 2022, 2 pm (Central European Time) (extended from 22 November)

PURPOSE AND RESEARCH FIELDS
This RFP will support research designed to develop novel small-molecule antivirals targeting pandemic influenza. PAD funding can support preclinical activities and phase I clinical trials, but not later stage clinical trials. Special consideration will be given to therapeutic modalities that are suitable for deployment in low resource settings. Researchers from around the world are encouraged to submit proposals.

Proposals should be consistent with at least one of these 4 areas:

  • Direct acting antivirals with data demonstrating clear differentiation from currently marketed influenza antiviral products
  • Host targeted therapies with data demonstrating clear benefit over currently marketed influenza virus therapeutics
  • Compounds that target multiple pathways or mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of resistance emergence
  • Compounds demonstrating activity against drug resistant influenza variants

In addition to improved clinical efficacy over standard of care, attributes that define differentiation include shorter duration of therapy, reduced dosing frequency, improved safety, lower cost of goods, higher barrier to resistance and/or novel targets/mechanism of action.

Projects can be anchored at any type of research organization, including academia, not-for profit and commercial organizations.

HOW TO APPLY
The full call text, including eligibility criteria, funding framework, details of the application process, and instructions on how to apply and what information to include in an application can be found in the guidelines – link via button below.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The application must be completed in English, contain all the information requested in the guidelines, and submitted using the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s application and grant management system, NORMA – link to application system via button below.

The PAD founding partners Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Philanthropy and Novo Nordisk Foundation will have access to all the proposals submitted to this RfP. 

Deadline for submission of concept note: 14 December 2022 at 2 pm Central European Time 

Please be aware that projects that fall outside the 4 defined areas and projects on vaccines, antibody and nanobody therapy, diagnostics, clinical trials (Phase II, III, IV), formulation development and epidemiology are excluded from the RFP and will not be considered for funding.

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