In 1977, the world’s first effective treatment for a viral disease occurred at University Hospital. Richard Whitley, M.D., and Charles Alford developed vidarabine, the first drug to treat encephalitis caused by the herpes simplex virus. Their achievement opened the door to the whole field of antiviral therapy, and today antivirals are a vital part of the pharmacological arsenal, used to treat influenza, HIV and many other conditions.
Whitley, now a Distinguished Professor of infectious diseases, is still doing groundbreaking treatment research as principal investigator of a $37.5 million, five-year U19 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Centers of Excellence for Translational Research to study and develop treatment for high-priority emerging infections. That research helped develop the investigational drug remdesivir, which is being used to treat select infected patients in the United States and China who have been affected by COVID-19.
Read through more stories from the UAB Reporter to see how more investigators across UAB have mobilized their research interests to help us better understand and fight coronavirus.
Tackling his third pandemic, UAB researcher gets up close with coronaviruses in order to kill them
Researchers are creating a coronavirus showdown to settle pressing antibody problems
Where are the good antibodies against COVID-19? UAB project aims to find out
Helpful viruses may unlock the secrets of coronavirus antibodies
