Open Science Drives Development of Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Antiviral
A new broad-spectrum coronavirus antiviral, ASAP-0017445, developed through global open science and AI collaboration, shows promising potential as a next-generation treatment. Source: Medical Xpress.
A groundbreaking antiviral drug candidate, named ASAP-0017445, has been identified as a promising broad-spectrum treatment targeting coronaviruses. This candidate was recently nominated as a pre-clinical drug by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). Notably, this antiviral is the first developed through a global crowdsourced effort combined with open science principles, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) tools from the COVID Moonshot initiative, which originated at Diamond Light Source.
ASAP-0017445 is a main protease inhibitor, showing effective activity against SARS-CoV-2 and other related viruses such as MERS-CoV. Its design and development involved international collaboration and open sharing of data, enabling the rapid advancement of this potential therapeutic. The open-science approach allowed researchers worldwide to access extensive structural data and contribute molecules for testing, fostering a transparent and accelerated drug discovery process.
The COVID Moonshot project, launched in March 2020, exemplifies the power of global collaboration. It received over 18,000 molecule submissions aimed at inhibiting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, with all structural data and compounds made publicly accessible for further research. This open data initiative has been crucial in optimizing compounds like ASAP-0017445, which holds potential as an affordable and effective antiviral medicine accessible globally.
The structure of ASAP-0017445 was disclosed in March 2025, and all associated data are publicly available, enabling other scientists to build upon this work. This case highlights how advanced research infrastructure, collaborative efforts, and the integration of AI can significantly speed up the development of antiviral drugs, especially in response to emerging health threats.
The effort underscores the importance of transparency and open collaboration in accelerating drug discovery, with the ultimate goal of providing accessible treatments for future coronavirus outbreaks. Source: Medical Xpress
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