Potent, clinically enabled, and accessible broad-spectrum antivirals are urgently needed, yet most compounds investigated in advanced pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown no or very limited efficacy. Salicylamides were one exception, with promising results now obtained in clinical Phase II trials. However, their antiviral mechanism of action is not yet fully understood. This project will provide the essential building blocks for probing on- and off-target effects of newly developed salicylamides to ensure efficacy and avoid dangerous side effects.
The work will be executed in the group of David B. Sauer at the University of Oxford in the UK, an expert in membrane protein biochemistry and small-molecule targeting, in close partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi). The 2-year project commenced in 2025.