HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Evotec SE (EVO) announced Friday that it has received a $1.7 million grant to discover and develop RNA-targeting small molecules as potential first-in-class therapeutics against Henipaviruses.
The grant has been received from Open Philanthropy, a philanthropic funder prioritising global health and wellbeing.
Henipavirus is a genus of zoonotic viruses in the family Paramyxoviridae that can cause fatal encephalitis in humans. It comprises six different established species including Hendra virus and Nipah virus, from which it receives its name.
The World Health Organization lists henipaviral agents as R&D Blueprint Priority Pathogens, indicating their pandemic potential.
At present, there are no approved drugs or vaccines for Hendra or Nipah virus infections available.
Under the grant, Evotec will leverage its RNA-targeting small molecules or rSM platform to identify promising RNA sequences to target with small molecule ligands that can be developed into potentially first-in-class therapeutics.
Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, said, 'The grant will enable us to pursue an innovative RNA-targeting approach to address the pandemic challenges posed by Henipaviruses. Through PRROTECT, we strive to make a meaningful contribution to achieve targets set under the UN Sustainable Development Goal ('SDG') No 3 and make new, safe and effective treatment options available for these pandemic threats.'
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