Viriom partners with government org to create Zika treatments
With more than 40,000 reported Zika virus infection cases in the U.S., researchers and physicians are working harder than ever to find treatments for the dangerous virus.
San Diego-based Viriom is one company working to find treatments for Zika. The develops antiviral drugs developer is collaborating with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to help create new drug treatments for Zika and other virus infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis B, according to a statement from Viriom.
"This collaboration is a valuable opportunity for Viriom to test and improve the efficacy of its lead candidates for a variety of indications," said Nikolay Savchuk, MD, chairman of the board at Viriom, in a statement. "We look forward to our collaboration with NICHD and believe that their expertise in laboratory research, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies will allow us to strengthen our antiviral portfolio and develop more effective treatments for Zika virus infections and other socially significant viral diseases."
New cases of Zika have been confirmed in Texas recently and new ones have surfaced in Miami. Additionally, health workers have reported that insecticides aren’t killing mosquitoes carrying the virus anymore.
Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.