Development of monoclonal antibodies to prevent and treat infections from Flaviviruses

O čem je ta razpis?

The topic funds research and innovation projects that advance existing monoclonal antibody candidates against selected flaviviruses from preclinical tests to first-in-human safety studies.

Kaj ta razpis financira?

Scope

The topic funds the further development of existing prophylactic and therapeutic monoclonal antibody candidates against selected flaviviruses, in support of the European Medical Countermeasures Strategy. Each proposal should explicitly state which one of the following viruses it targets, and the work should address only that virus:

• Dengue virus;
• tick-borne encephalitis virus;
• Japanese encephalitis virus;
• West Nile fever virus;
• yellow fever virus;
• Zika virus.

Proposals should focus on antibodies produced or derived from a single cell clone through recombinant expression, such as B-cell derived antibodies, hybridoma derived antibodies and nanobodies.

Research areas

Proposals should address all of the following:

• where necessary, completing in-vitro characterisation of the candidates (target specificity, epitope and ability to impair viral functions);
• in-vivo tests in at least one animal model, or in humanised immune system animal models where available, and in non-human primates if regulators require it;
• evaluation of antibody-dependent enhancement risk where scientifically relevant;
• production of GMP batches of the most promising candidates;
• first-in-human clinical safety studies with a clear regulatory pathway to market authorisation.

Attention should be paid to sex, age, ethnicity and disability. Projects should engage with regulators in good time and use existing research infrastructures, such as those that contributed to ISIDORe services.

Expected outcomes

Better understanding of and access to experimental monoclonal antibodies for emerging and re-emerging viral infections, and candidate antibody therapies available for clinical use in an epidemic or pandemic.

Kdaj je rok za oddajo?

17. februarja 2027 (103 dni)

13 April 2027 (single-stage call).