Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Louisville Office of Research & Innovation a $684,921 Project Grant on September 24, 2025, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to support research on the development of novel antiviral therapeutics targeting arthritogenic alphaviruses, with particular focus on Chikungunya virus and other Old World (OW) alphaviruses with pandemic potential. The five-year award, completing August 31, 2030, funds an integrated research effort combining structural biology, medicinal chemistry, and preclinical evaluation to optimize a quinazolinone-based antiviral scaffold originally developed for New World (NW) alphaviruses. The research team will work to enhance potency against OW alphaviruses by elucidating molecular interactions between the compound series and viral replicase complexes, thereby addressing an urgent public health need for effective antiviral treatments in response to increased global prevalence of OW alphavirus infections.

The project deliverables span three coordinated research aims executed through the prime awardee and two sub-awardees. Nanyang Technological University (NTU), a Singapore-based research institution, will conduct structural studies of OW alphavirus replicase complexes under Aim 1, generating critical structural insights to guide structure-activity relationship (SAR) efforts and inform compound design. The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research will execute medicinal chemistry and drug optimization work, including synthesis and evaluation of quinazoline and proline amide analogs, in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetics assessment, and advancement of lead and backup compounds toward clinical development candidates. Together, these research activities are expected to yield next-generation antiviral inhibitors with enhanced efficacy suitable for further therapeutic development.