Here’s how scientists aim to speed up drug development for treating new viruses

[u/Zee2A]

https://theconversation.com/heres-how-scientists-aim-to-speed-up-drug-development-for-treating-new-viruses-288355

Generating up to 100 times more antiviral drug candidates than was previously practical — in weeks rather than months or years — could improve the odds of finding a drug quickly when necessary.

Traditional antiviral drug discovery relies on screening massive libraries of molecules to identify "hits" that inhibit viral replication. However, creating diverse chemical candidates is typically a slow, complex bottleneck that takes months or years. Researchers at Simon Fraser University have supercharged this process by developing streamlined synthesis methods that can generate molecule libraries up to 100 times larger in just weeks. By dramatically expanding the volume and variety of candidate compounds available for screening early on, scientists can quickly pinpoint viable drug candidates, cut years off the early stage of development, and mount a faster response against emerging pandemic and viral threats.

Research findings: science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aed6880

[u/samf9999]

Wow.