The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded a new grant to Melbourne researchers to accelerate the final pre-clinical development of a groundbreaking long-acting antiviral designed to protect against all major influenza viruses, particularly for communities in low- and middle-income countries. The project team comprises researchers at the University of Melbourne and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, in collaboration with Australian biotech company Aus Bio Ltd. Building on the strong results of the first project phase (University of Melbourne – Kanta Subbarao – PAD Initiative), this next stage will prepare the novel compound for human trials by advancing commercial scale manufacturing, optimising a simple intranasal formulation, and completing rigorous safety testing. This compound has shown exceptional potential – demonstrating protection in animals from lethal influenza infection after just a single dose and strong activity even against viruses that resist current antiviral drugs. By generating the data required to move toward Phase 1 clinical testing, this project takes a critical step toward a new tool that could shield vulnerable communities during the earliest days of a flu pandemic. With its long-lasting effect, ease of use, and suitability for low resource settings, the novel compound has the potential to transform global pandemic preparedness. The research group is led by Kanta Subbarao, Ian Barr, Saira Hussain, Francesca Mercuri and the originators of the anti-influenza compound Wen-Yang Wu, Betty Jin, Paul Jones and Peter Jenkins of Aus Bio Ltd, along with their original scientific collaborators from the University of Melbourne Lorena Brown, Charley Mackenzie-Kludas and Jenny McKimm-Breschkin. The project is hosted at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and will run for two years, commencing in 2026.
