Cocrystal Pharma Expands Collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to Evaluate COVID-19 Protease Inhibitors

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. announces a Non-Clinical Evaluation Agreement (NCEA) with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for exploratory preclinical studies to evaluate the potential of Cocrystal’s 3CL protease inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19. Under the NIAID collaboration, Cocrystal has provided its proprietary process chemistry information for its oral 3CL protease inhibitors and the NIAID will support a scale-up synthesis of a key intermediate of the oral 3CL protease inhibitors.

“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with NIAID to support our ongoing API synthesis of Cocrystal’s oral 3CL protease inhibitors,” said Sam Lee, Ph.D., Cocrystal’s President and co-interim CEO. “We are grateful to receive the NIAID’s additional support and look forward to further expanding our collaborative work going forward.”

A division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic and allergic diseases. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. was appointed Director of the NIAID in 1984.