Pandemic influenza drugs research receives $2M funding

Peterborough, ON – The federal government is providing $2 million to support research to develop drugs that are effective in combating a pandemic influenza virus.

The funding is being given to the International Consortium on Antivirals (ICAV), a non-profit Canadian consortium founded to foster collaboration among experts in the public, private and academic sectors. The funding will aid in the establishment of the international headquarters for ICAV in Peterborough at Ontario’s Trent University.

The International Consortium on Antivirals includes representation from leading national and international researchers. The goal of the organization is to rapidly transform world class international research results into low cost, antiviral drugs with high public health benefits. The ICAV’s initial focus is to develop anti-influenza drugs that have demonstrated early potential and warrant further investment for eventual production.

“This $2 million grant over the next two years will allow ICAV to continue working towards its goal of discovering and developing new therapeutic interventions for viral infections,” says Dr Jeremy Carver, ICAV’s chief executive and scientific officer. “Ultimately, we’ll leverage the expertise we develop through our research on antivirals effective against an influenza pandemic to deliver low-cost antiviral drugs to patients around the world for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, dengue fever, rotavirus infection in children and many others.”