UAE to begin work on COVID-19 antiviral drug

A research project to develop a COVID-19 antiviral drug has kicked off in the UAE.

The agreement between social initiative Sandooq Al Watan and the University of Sharjah is aimed at supporting the UAE's efforts to combat the spread of the virus.

The project, led by Dr. Sameh Soliman and co-investigators Dr. Ahmed Almehdi, Dr. Rania Hamdy and Dr. Mohamed Haider from the University of Sharjah, seeks to design a dual-inhibitor antiviral drug against COVID-19 by blocking major enzymes required for viral infection. 

The proposed product will provide an excellent platform to overcome any possible drug resistance or evolved future viral outbreaks.

"As a national initiative supporting research projects for the post-oil era, the recent major disruptions caused by the novel COVID-19 outbreak have made it even more imperative that we support innovative and forward-thinking projects to support national efforts to curb the spread of the virus and ensure business continuity in the UAE," said Ahmed Fikri, Acting Director-General of Sandooq Al Watan.

.@sandooqalwatan and @uSharjah have signed research agreements to launch a ground-breaking project to develop an antiviral drug for COVID-19, under Sandooq Al Watan’s Applied Research and Development programme ‘SWARD’. pic.twitter.com/3k0KwhUrIL

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) August 23, 2020