Cocrystal Pharma develops pan-viral inhibitors for hantavirus and influenza

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCP) announced the development of antiviral compounds that demonstrate activity against multiple viruses, including hantavirus, bunyavirus and influenza. The compounds target the viral replication enzyme's L-protein, which is essential for viral replication and transcription.

The company reported in vitro potency data showing activity against hantaan virus with IC50 values below 50 nanomolar. Hantaan virus is closely related to the Andes hantavirus strain that has been associated with recent outbreaks.

The Andes hantavirus recently caused an outbreak on a cruise ship, infecting up to 11 passengers and crew members and resulting in three deaths. The virus causes hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which has a case fatality rate of up to 50%. No approved antivirals or vaccines currently exist for hantavirus infections.

"We are thoughtfully leveraging our expertise in viral replication enzymes and structure-based drug discovery to develop the next generation of pan-viral replication inhibitors," said Sam Lee, President and co-CEO of Cocrystal Pharma. The company plans to evaluate the compounds' antiviral activity against the Andes hantavirus replication enzyme and explore collaborations to address these medical needs.

Cocrystal's existing pan-viral protease inhibitor, CDI-988, recently advanced to a Phase 1b norovirus challenge study in the United States. The company uses structure-based drug discovery technology to design antiviral candidates that target viral replication mechanisms by binding to conserved regions of viral enzymes.

The information is based on a company press release statement.

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