Medicinal chemistry hub for antiviral drug discovery
Official title: Medicinal Chemistry Core
Funded at Scripps Research Institute, the · NIH-11542048 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A dedicated medicinal chemistry core at Scripps Research helps drive early drug candidates for antiviral treatments with partners, from hit optimization to preclinical planning.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | May 16, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,787,798 |
| NIH project number | 4U19AI171443-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11542048 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with viral infections addressed by the collaborators and those who would participate in future clinical development programs or related studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly involved in antiviral development or those not connected to the specific targets may not benefit immediately.
What this research studies
This grant funds a senior team of chemists who design and optimize antiviral compounds, perform scalable synthesis, and analyze how modifications affect activity and drug properties. It supports collaboration with academic and industry partners to advance lead compounds toward IND-enabling studies. The core also coordinates with ADME/formulation researchers and uses structure-based design and machine learning to improve efficacy and safety. The work focuses on translating basic antiviral ideas into candidate medicines that could eventually reach patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could gain faster access to better antiviral therapies that are more effective and easier to use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work from the core has led to preclinical candidates and progressed toward IND studies, indicating a plausible path to human trials.
Where this research is happening
-
Scripps Research Institute, the
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gupta, Anil — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Gupta, Anil
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.