Emory Institute for Drug Development (EIDD) has a mission of early stage discovery, pre-clinical drug research, and training new generations of researchers in a drug discovery environment. The primary focus is on developing small-molecule therapeutics for commercially neglected diseases and rapid response to emerging infectious disease threats. Recently EIDD joined the fight against the Zika virus by attempting to identify and develop antivirals to treat the infection caused by the virus.
The EIDD facility is an interdisciplinary space designed to promote drug discovery and development by co-locating equipment for Medicinal and Process Chemistry, Virology and Molecular Biology, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics including dedicated teams in each area. The facility was opened in 2012, and is currently home to both office space and fully equipped laboratories to enable research teams to focus on cutting-edge research and drug development. The facility is 12,000 sq. ft. which includes a 3,500 sq. ft. chemistry suite for medicinal chemistry, ability to support resynthesis efforts, a separate NMR room, and a hydrogenation lab.
In addition to their current work with the Zika virus, the Institute is working in a number of other areas and the following three projects illustrate this (find additional information here). The first project is focused on inhibitors of virally encoded RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Researchers are working to develop a new generation of ribonucleoside and ribonucleotide analogs. These analogs will be targeting diseases such as Dengue virus, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Hanta virus, SARS, and MERS, and several types of encephalitis. The second project is focused on host-targeted, broadly acting antiviral therapeutics. The goal is developing compounds with a broadened antiviral target spectrum to move beyond traditional “one-bug one-drug” solutions. The current targets for this program are Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Influenza A, Nipah virus, and Mumps virus. The third project is focused on optimization of non-nucleoside inhibitors of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) for the measles virus. The efficacy and resistance profiles of this compound are being investigated for measles and canine distemper.
Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory, LLC, otherwise known as DRIVE, is the “industrial partner” of EIDD. DRIVE is a not-for-profit company separate from, but wholly owned by Emory, and the first initiative under Emory Innovations, Inc a 501(c)(3) corporation created to be the home for innovative new enterprises. This type of entity is highly unique in the realm of academic research and is designed to more effectively move drugs through lead optimization and pre-clinical testing and into proof-of-concept clinical trials. The transition from academic research and discovery to clinical trials is often referred to as “The Valley of Death.” It’s the goal of DRIVE to address this deficit and to move academic drug discovery further down the path. DRIVE is currently focused on five RNA based viruses – flaviviradae, myxoviridae, coronaviridae, bunyaviridae, and togaviridae.
EIDD & DRIVE are Emory’s answer to bringing together multidisciplinary capabilities to advance cutting-edge drug discovery and development in the preclinical stage.