Long term collaboration on new generation antivirals

Long term collaboration on new generation antivirals

NeoVirTech announces its collaboration with the French Technology Transfer Accelerator Office SAYENS to develop and optimize a new generation of broad spectrum antivirals for human and animal health.

Origin of the project

This project begins with the discovery of nitroccoroles as anti-herpes molecule in a first screening campaign in collaboration between NeoVirTech and ICMUB (UMR CNRS 6302, uB, Dijon), highlighted by the July 2015 ACS Infectious Disease cover. These compounds are commonly used as ligands for metal complexes but never for their potential anti-viral properties. First generation compounds displayed promising antiviral activity in vitro.

An agreement to foster innovation

SAYENS, a French Technology Transfer Accelerator Office is dedicated to detect and invest into the best research project for potential industrialization ; and NeoVirTech, a French biotechnology company focusing its activity on antiviral discovery and virus/viral vector imaging, now enter into an agreement to develop second and third generation antiviral compounds. Backed by the Chemistry Group of Prof. C. P. Gros from ICMUB and the Medicinal/Pharmaceutical school (uB), this collaboration already led to the generation of more than 200 variants and optimized antivirals with new mechanism of action, nM activity with selectivity indexes over 500. Optimized compounds did not display any toxicity in vivo and are active on a large variety of dsDNA viruses, leading to 2 international patents fillings. Optimized variants are not only highly potent, they are also very simple to synthesize with a “one to two step” reaction. Upscaling is therefore made easier. On a multibillion dollar market such as the infectious disease market, new molecules offer a promising return on investment.

We are very excited to be able to visualize the pre-integration complex and the fate of the HIV1 genome in living cells. The ANCHORTM technology is for us the state of the art technology allowing for the first time thorough investigation of HIV1 biology and response to antiviral treatment directly in living cells. The technology is the only one compatible with CLEM (correlative light-electron microscopy) to dissect the ultrastructural structure of the HIV1 particle. The fact that the ANCHORTM technology does not modify HIV1 virus biology offers an unprecedented view of the dynamics of this virus in living cells.
Favicon NeoVirtech
Franck Gallardo, NeoVirTech
CEO
We have decided to engage a significant investment in this project based on its future economic potential and high value for human and animal health. Working with an expert in antiviral evaluation, such as NeoVirTech, insure us the suitable way to develop our technology with best chances of success.
Sayens
Catherine Guillemin, SAYENS
CEO

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