Overview
The AVITHRAPID consortium is united by a common goal: developing innovative antiviral therapies for emerging arboviruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika. To bridge the gaps and to grant sustainability in the long term, Chelonia, as WP Exploitation leader, launched a survey to assess partners’ expectations and guide exploitation at consortium level. The survey reveals a mature strategy integrating basic research, computational modeling, clinical development, and sustainable innovation.
Scientific Results and Clinical Pipeline
The consortium has identified diverse exploitable outputs spanning multiple maturity levels (TRL 2–6). Efforts include novel protease inhibitors, advanced computational models, and standardized biomedical datasets. Approximately 70% of partners have filed or plan to file patents, balancing intellectual property protection with scientific transparency through open-access publications.
Data Standardization and FAIR Principles
A cornerstone of AVITHRAPID’s approach is commitment to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Partners are investing in data standardization, open repositories, and consortium-wide sharing platforms. One partner deposits zootechnical and biological data on public repositories, while others develop computational pipelines accessible via high-performance computing platforms. Access models are pragmatic: some assets are fully open, others consortium-restricted, with hybrid options allowing research-driven external access.
Clinical and Regulatory Synergies
The clinical dimension anchors the consortium’s strategy. Multi-center trials coordinated by Swiss TPH, EuResist Network governance, and planned synergies with LMIC trial networks and WHO establish a foundation for pandemic preparedness. However, challenges persist: limited post-project funding, regulatory complexity, and GLP certification requirements necessitate ongoing support from HERA, EMA, and international bodies.
Sustainability Beyond 2028
A unifying vision is the creation of a sustainable AVITHRAPID entity post-2028. Partners propose maintaining bioinformatic platforms, animal models, BSL3/4 laboratories, and interdisciplinary teams. Proposed governance structures include public-private partnerships, open patent pools for specific sectors, and spin-offs for computational tools. Critical engagement with HERA, EMA, pharma partners, and academic institutions will be essential.
Key Challenges
The consortium identifies four cross-cutting barriers: (1) intellectual property governance balancing patents and publications, (2) limited post-project funding amid intense European competition, (3) regulatory complexity requiring streamlined procedures, and (4) the need for dedicated mechanisms supporting low- and middle-income country participation.
Conclusion
AVITHRAPID exemplifies European excellence in collaborative antiviral research. Its success depends on consolidating scientific synergies into a durable ecosystem combining open science with commercial viability, public funding with industry partnership, and generating life-saving therapies for emerging viral threats in an era of rising epidemiological risk.