VIRGIL: European vigilance network for the management of antiviral drug resistance

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 03.0599-2

Key words (English)

Antiviral drug resistance; influenza virus; HBV; HCV

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: 503359

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 6. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.2a

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Universität Bern
Institut für klinische Pharmakologie

Abstract (English)

The overall objective of the viRgil Network of Excellence is to set up the first-ever European Vigilance Network capable of addressing current arid emerging antiviral drugs resistance developments. Focusing first on three major diseases (influenza and viral hepatitis B and C), our strategy is to build a sustainable, patient oriented 'virtual institute' by integrating the currently fragmented European capacities into interacting platforms that together will allow the containment of the problem of viral drug resistance. Being approach- rather than virus-based, the integration process will be flexible enough to embrace in the future drug resistance problems related to other human viruses. Indeed, the proposed complementary platforms will focus each on a topic contributing towards broad objectives: the setting-up of the viRgil clinical platforms (surveillance and virology) will allow a global approach for monitoring, testing and ultimately improving the management of antiviral drug resistance in treated patients, leading to outstanding practices and standards in Europe. Attention will be paid to specific patient communities (children, women). These activities will be strengthened by knowledge generated from the in vitro and in vivo models platform; which will elucidate the mechanisms of the development of resistance, and from the host determinants platform aiming at understanding patient-related (immune/genetic) factors conditioning viral drug resistance. Platforms dedicated to drugs and pharmacological aspects as well as innovation and technology will enable to anticipate viral resistance against promising drugs closed to clinical application and to overcome future resistance problems by proposing more rational approaches for drug development to the private sector and effective tools for testing resistance to the clinicians.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 03.0599-2