4 / 2021 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 7
be funded by the government . Policymakers need to come to terms with the fact that the fight against a pandemic is also a matter of internal security .
Ralf Bartenschlager ML
Head of the Molecular Virology Department at Heidelberg University and Division Head at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg . The virologist is conducting research into the interaction between viruses and their host cells .
Image : Heidelberg University Hospital
How exactly can they help us ? Bartenschlager : We can safely say that another pandemic will strike , but we don ’ t know what will cause it . What we do know is that certain groups of viruses – such as influenza viruses – have a very high potential of triggering a pandemic . Rather than planning to start the search for active substances from scratch every time , we should be trying to keep them as broad as possible in the first place so that they will work across a whole group of viruses , for instance . In the past , the strategy has always been to develop a drug that targets one very specific virus . Whilst that keeps the risk of side effects to a minimum , it doesn ’ t allow for a more widespread impact . With a broad-spectrum drug , we could respond very quickly to the next pandemic , which may well be caused by flu viruses . At the very least , we would be able to treat the most severe cases without delay . Rübsamen-Schaeff : The goal needs to be to develop several broad spectrum antiviral drugs which could then be tested on whatever specific virus appears and optimised later down the line . This is a preventive health measure that should
Are we seeing a greater focus on broad spectrum antiviral drugs already ? Bartenschlager : This idea is nothing new in science , but it is yet to take hold at the policy level . As you can imagine , it is difficult to get research funding for something that I can ’ t say for certain will actually ever be needed . That ’ s why I see this as a sovereign task . The government needs to provide a financial incentive to encourage the right level of interest in industry and academia . Only then will it be possible to develop potential drugs to the phase I trial level . Rübsamen-Schaeff : People are often under the impression that phase I involves a single trial , but several phase I trials are actually required to find out things like how a drug is metabolised and excreted and whether there are any interactions . All of these kinds of questions need answers if a drug is to be used to treat a novel virus . The government needs to offer funding if pharmaceutical and biotech companies are going to sit up and listen . For example , the US government allocated 3.2 billion US dollars to the research and development of treatments for COVID-19 this summer .
When it comes to developing drugs , we need to see better cooperation between industry and the world of academia . But where do we start ? Rübsamen-Schaeff : It would be useful if people with industry experience could go into universities and explain the process of developing a drug . Not many academic researchers have a full understanding of this specialist knowledge . We also need a decision-making body to determine , with input from industry representatives , which drug development projects the government should prioritise for funding , thereby guaranteeing production . I am sure that industry players would be willing to get involved in this process if universities were to take care of the groundwork and get drugs to the
Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff ML
Founding CEO of AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG in Wuppertal and current Member of the Supervisory Board . The chemist and virologist headed up research into anti-infectives at Bayer AG in Leverkusen for many years .
Image : Markus Scholz | Leopoldina
stage of being ready for human trials . Bartenschlager : What we really need is a clear commitment from policymakers . Something along the lines of an investment in a virtual network made up of universities and research institutions since wide-ranging expertise and infrastructures are required when it comes to virus groups with pandemic potential . Industry partners would need to be connected to this network , with medicinal chemistry as a priority . When results from pilot and feasibility studies are made available , there is a need for clinical research centres that may be based at academic institutions or within businesses . By the time a substance is ready for testing in humans at the latest , the clinical trials infrastructure needs to be in place . As the pandemic has shown us , that infrastructure is still rather rudimentary here in Germany .
■ THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY BENJAMIN HAERDLE
Ad hoc statement “ Antivirale Wirkstoffe gegen SARS-CoV-2 ” ( German only )