Triazavirin Based Anti-COVID Drug to Be Co-Funded by China and Russia

12:29, March 24, 2021

The Russian Foundation for Basic Research State Natural Science Foundation of China to support the creation of drugs against coronavirus based on "Triazavirin"

Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the State Natural Science Foundation of China will support the creation of drugs for coronavirus based on Triazavirin. A group of scientists led by Professor of the Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry of the Ural Federal University, Director of the Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Charushin and academicians of the Harbin Medical University Dr. Baofeng Yang and Weijie Du received a grant from foundations to create funds active against SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.

“We will continue to work on the development of new antiviral agents based on azaheterocyclic molecules that are active against SARS-CoV-2 and other infections caused by viral pathogens,” explains Valery Charushin. - The drug Triazavirin has proven itself in the treatment of influenza, ARVI, Covid-19, tick-borne encephalitis and other viral infections. The data obtained, including during the period of the pandemic, make it possible to consider the azoloazine scaffold as a promising structural fragment for creating new molecular ensembles based on hybrid and convergent molecular structures ”.

Under this grant, scientists will select promising drug candidates from among azoloazines and other small molecules, including FDA-approved drugs and new compounds.

“The key tasks are the chemical design of new small molecules, the development of original synthetic approaches, a comprehensive study of the structural and physicochemical properties of the synthesized compounds. In addition, virtual screening and molecular screening are contemplated. We will conduct in vitro and in vivo experiments. This will allow us to assess the safety and activity, to study the mechanisms of action of molecules,” says Valery Charushin.

It should be noted that scientists from the Ural Federal University, the Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ural State Medical University and the Harbin Medical University will work on the creation of new drugs. The study "Target-based design and screening of promising drug candidates for a number of azoloazines and other small molecules for SARS-CoV-2 (and other viral infections), including studies on optimization of structure, assessment of bioactivity / safety and study of the mechanism of action" won the competition for the best projects of fundamental scientific research. The grant is provided for two years.