The US Department of Defense is providing $8.5 million to fund development of a Q-Griffithsin (Q-GRFT) nasal spray at the University of Louisville, the university said. The funding will support the PREVENT-CoV project for development of a once-daily nasal spray for the prevention of viral infections through a Phase 1 study. Researchers say that because they already have already conducted tests for the use of Q-GRFT for the prevention of HIV, they could potentially be ready for an emergency use authorization submission for the nasal spray formulation by the end of 2021
According to the university, the Q-GRFT nasal spray is intended to protect against various coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS, as well as other viruses with pandemic potential. The project is led by the director of the university’s Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Kenneth E. Palmer, and collaborators include researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, the National Cancer Institute, and the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
DoD Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense Douglas Bryce commented, “We are pleased to work with the University of Louisville and hopeful about the prospect of developing Q-Griffithsin to combat COVID-19. Repurposing a medical countermeasure that is already in development as a stopgap to potentially provide pre-exposure prophylaxis is a critical component of an effective layered defense. Pursuing innovative solutions with our partners supports both our service members and the American public as we continue our fight against this and other diseases.”
UofL Executive VP of Research and Innovation Kevin Gardner said, “This is a great example of how UofL researchers pivoted rapidly to address this deadly pandemic and speaks volumes about why research matters to society. Our state-of-the-art research infrastructure at the Center for Predictive Medicine allowed rapid efficacy testing for this and many other prospective anti-viral therapies that have real potential to prevent COVID-19 infection, reduce its transmission and treat its effects.”
Read the University of Louisville press release.
