Vironika, LLC, secured a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a small molecule inhibitor that works via a novel mechanism for latent Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV).
“We are thrilled to receive funding for a novel approach to development of a therapeutic targeting latent EBV infection, which may also serve as a diagnostic tool for EBV-dependent tumor identification,” says Ursula Ramirez, Ph.D., Principal Investigator of this grant.
The grant will allow Vironika to develop novel small molecules to serve as a therapeutic and/or diagnostic for latent EBV infection, through the development of lead compounds that show great efficacy and specificity in biochemical, cellular and in vivo assays.
Vironika, LLC, is a privately held company founded in 2009 by Paul Lieberman, Ph.D. Dr. Lieberman is a full Professor at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.