Collaborations Pharmaceuticals says CPI-1058 blocks Ebola strains

Collaborations Pharmaceuticals says it identified CPI-1058 as a broad-spectrum antiviral against Sudan and Bundibugyo strains of Ebola virus after in vitro testing with academic and NIAID-funded labs. The finding comes as Ebola cases rise in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and no approved vaccine or antiviral exists for Bundibugyo virus.

Why it matters: - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda involves Bundibugyo virus, a strain with no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment. - World Health Organization data cited in the release said that, as of Sept. 22, there were more than 7,800 confirmed cases and more than 3,780 confirmed deaths, for a case fatality rate of 48%. - Collaborations Pharmaceuticals says CPI-1058 could help slow spread now and support future stockpiling efforts.

What happened: - Collaborations Pharmaceuticals said it identified CPI-1058 as a broad-spectrum antiviral against Sudan and Bundibugyo Ebola virus strains. - The company said it tested the molecule in vitro through external collaborations with academic labs and NIAID-funded labs. - CEO Sean Ekins said the company used its published machine learning models to identify the molecule.

The details: - The company said CPI-1058 is a submicromolar inhibitor of both Sudan and Bundibugyo viruses. - The company said CPI-1058 also inhibits Zaire, Marburg and other viruses. - Collaborations Pharmaceuticals said it has more than a decade of experience developing small-molecule antivirals for neglected diseases such as Ebola. - The company said its work is supported by non-dilutive funding from the National Institutes of Health. - The company said its software stack includes Assay Central for data curation and machine learning, plus MegaTox, MegaTrans, MegaPredict and MegaSyn. - More information is available on the company’s website. - The company also shared its LinkedIn page.

Between the lines: - Ekins argued that sporadic outbreaks leave little commercial incentive for large drugmakers to pursue Ebola treatments. - Ekins also criticized the broader role of major AI companies in drug discovery, saying they lack the focus and expertise needed for this work. - The release frames the outbreak response as a gap that could require help from non-U.S. organizations as well as future U.S. government partners.

What's next: - Collaborations Pharmaceuticals said it wants to move CPI-1058 toward patient use to help contain the current outbreak. - The company said it also wants to develop the molecule for stockpiling by the U.S. and other countries. - Ekins said the company is open to working with U.S. agencies such as BARDA and DARPA, and with non-U.S. organizations that could support outbreak response and preparedness. - The company said future Ebola outbreaks are inevitable and that preparedness work should continue now.