Monrovia, CA -- (SBWire) -- 10/06/2011 --Michael G. Kurilla, Director, Office of BioDefense Research Affairs at NIAID, NIH will give a featured presentation on “Novel, Antiviral Host Based Targeting Influencing Drug Development” at the 8th Anti-infectives Partnering and Deal-making Conference to be held in Boston, MA on November 7-8, 2011 by GTC.

Traditional antiviral drug discovery and development have typically focused on targets that are mostly virus specific or at most potentially applicable to a single family. Due to the limited genetic potential of viral genomes, “druggable” targets can be sparse, unlikely to be conserved with other viral families, and especially for RNA viruses, exhibit a high mutation rate leading to drug resistance. Continued efforts with traditional approaches are unlikely to yield either broad spectrum antivirals or significantly reduce the propensity for drug resistance. On the other hand, viruses being the ultimate obligate intracellular parasite require extensive interactions with their host cells and commandeer major elements of cellular machinery in order to complete their replicative life cycle. These points of host cell engagement and usurpation of normal cellular function should provide new antiviral targets to pursue that offer the potential for both broad spectrum activity and a reduced propensity for drug resistance.

Dr. Kurilla is the Director of the Office of Biodefense Research Affairs and Associate Director for Biodefense Product Development for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). His primary role is to provide overall institute coordination for product development of medical countermeasures against bioterror threats. At the University of Virginia, he was an Assistant Professor of Pathology as well as Co-Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and Associate Director for Clinical Microbiology. He moved to the private sector working in anti-infective drug development at Dupont Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Wyeth. He subsequently joined the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as a Medical Officer.

The 8th Anti-infectives Partnering and Deal-making Conference gives global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the infectious diseases industry an opportunity to network with high-level executives from top pharma and various biotech/pharmaceutical companies, as well as explore potential collaborations, and learn about relevant infectious disease issues and partnerships that will affect the industry.

The conference is part of the Infectious Diseases World Summit, which consists of 2 tracks including the 9th Vaccines Discovery and Development: All Things Considered Conference.