Columbia AIDS researchers pivot to treatments for COVID-19 and future pandemics

A Columbia research team at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) that has also battled viruses such as SARS, bird flu, and Ebola has set its sights on developing drugs to fight COVID-19. The team is using cutting-edge technologies to reduce the early stages of drug discovery from several years to a few months. They expect to bring several drug and vaccine candidates to trials within a year.

The team is also focusing on proactive solutions to develop therapies that will work not only against COVID-19, but also against the wide variety of coronaviruses that could infect people in the future. By developing treatments for diseases before they exist, a forward-looking drug strategy could save countless lives and prevent such repeat cycles of outbreaks and quarantines as caused by COVID-19. Learn more.