A new initiative to discover and develop antiviral medications for future pandemics was announced Tuesday by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Open Philanthropy. The groups will commit up to $90 million toward the new program, Pandemic Antiviral Discovery. The initiative will focus on drug candidates that are ready for phase 2 clinical trials. “Ensuring antivirals can be deployed on short notice and at low cost to everyone who needs them is a critical step if we are to be prepared for the next pandemic,” said Trevor Mundel, president of global health at the Gates Foundation, in a statement.
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