New Intrepid Alliance antiviral landscape report highlights urgent need to bolster R&D pipeline in support of global pandemic preparedness efforts

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the INTREPID Alliance, a consortium of innovative biopharmaceutical companies dedicated to accelerating antiviral treatments to help protect the world ahead of future pandemics, released its Antiviral Clinical and Preclinical Development Landscape. In this third edition report, the Alliance adds a list of preclinical antiviral compounds to its ongoing analysis of clinical antiviral compounds in development that target the 13 viral families identified1 as having potential to result in a pandemic which now includes mpox.

INTREPID's analysis shows that the majority of the 64 distinct direct-acting antiviral compounds in clinical phase studies target coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2) and orthomyxoviruses (Influenza). Similarly, of the 96 distinct preclinical direct-acting antiviral compounds spanning the different stages of preclinical development, the majority target SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Non-COVID-19 preclinical compounds under study are primarily targeting Influenza. Further analysis reveals that there is no preclinical development activity found for 3 of the 13 viral families (Nairoviridae, Peribunyaviridae, and Picornaviridae), and no clinical development activity was found in 4 of the 13 viral families (Hantaviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Togaviridae).

These key findings in today's report highlight an urgent need for increased research and development in antivirals beyond the concentration in COVID-19 and Influenza research in order to enable a strong global preparedness and response system in the face of future pandemics.

"Antiviral medicines play a critical role in the world's arsenal to prevent and respond to emerging and neglected viruses with pandemic potential," said James Anderson, Executive Director of Global Health at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and Chair of the INTREPID Alliance Board. "INTREPID's analysis identifies the critical gaps that currently exist in the antiviral R&D pipeline, and where we can work together with our collaborators and partners to shine a light on potential areas of focus that can strengthen our global preparedness efforts when future outbreaks emerge."

Medical countermeasures, such as the use of antivirals, provide significant advantage in response to pandemics by allowing for faster response time when a new outbreak occurs as well as helping to mitigate the severity of an outbreak by reducing hospitalizations and mortality rates.

The current mpox outbreak and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern,2 underscores the urgency to prepare against new and known viral threats where we have identified risks. Included in today's report is information specific to the clinical and preclinical R&D landscape for mpox, which shows critical gaps in compound discovery and development for mpox and related poxviruses.

"Greater transparency from INTREPID's landscape into the antiviral drug pipeline is instrumental in coordinating global preparedness efforts across developers, funders, governments, and the broader global public health community," said Jeremy Farrar, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, World Health Organization. "The current mpox outbreak, as well the alarming rise in dengue infections, show us that we cannot rely solely on the current pipeline when facing viruses of global concern. Stakeholders from the public and private sectors need to work together to fill in these significant gaps in the antiviral pipeline."