Opinion: Project NextGen is ignoring new COVID-19 antivirals when we need them most

Project NextGen is ignoring new COVID-19 antivirals when we need them most The time for complacency is over. Relying solely on vaccines and mAbs isn’t a sustainable long-term solution against a virus that rapidly outpaces our current preventive and therapeutic arsenal. cjordan The Hill

As this recent holiday surge reminds us, new dominant variants like HV.1, EG.5, and BA.2.86 are thriving despite our existing vaccines and treatments. COVID-19 remains a pressing threat, particularly for those most vulnerable to severe disease.

Yet, the $5 billion initiative being administered by Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)-led Project NextGen has failed to invest in the next generation of oral COVID-19 antivirals. Next-generation oral antivirals, some of which are already in development, are likely to be the most practical and productive investment to help protect our most at-risk individuals and bring us closer to moving beyond this pandemic. However, without government/private partnerships similar to what were implemented for vaccines and monoclonal antibody development, new next-generation oral antivirals currently in development may not reach the finish line.  

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