Biden-Harris Administration to Invest $3 Billion in COVID-19 Antiviral Strategies

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is investing more than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacturing of antiviral medicines to develop the next generation of COVID-19 treatments. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), will launch the Antiviral Program for Pandemics to respond to the urgent need for antivirals to treat COVID-19 and build sustainable platforms for discovery and development of antivirals for other viruses with pandemic potential.

The program will support research to identify and accelerate availability of breakthrough treatment options to ensure the public has access to viable medicines that can save lives and prevent overwhelming surges in hospitalizations. Under the program, more than $300 million will be dedicated for research and laboratory support, nearly $1 billion for preclinical and clinical evaluation, and nearly $700 million for development and manufacturing through the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and BARDA. An additional $1.2 billion is allocated to support the creation of collaborative drug discovery groups called Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern.

Additional information on HHS’ investments is available here.