Drug Discovery | Emory School of Medicine

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The anti-inflammatory agent baricitinib, originally developed for rheumatoid arthritis, recently received a stand-alone Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for COVID-19. In the United States, baricitinib was first used against COVID-19 by Emory investigators.

HIV/AIDS

More than 9 in 10 HIV patients in the U.S. on lifesaving therapy take Emtriva (emtracitibine) or 3TC (lamivudine), both drugs invented at Emory.

Winship Cancer Institute

Scientists at Winship Cancer Institute have tested more than 75% of cancer drugs approved by the FDA since 2007, many in clinical trials initiated by Emory teams.

Transplant

Emory transplant surgeons helped develop belatacept, an FDA-approved post-transplant drug that is less toxic and more effective than previous immunosuppressants.

Alzheimer’s disease

Drug development for Alzheimer’s disease is expensive and risky. Still, it is a challenge that must be confronted due to the rapid aging of the population and the lack of effective therapies and medications. The Alzheimer’s Centers for the Discovery of New Medicines is designed to diversify and reinvigorate the Alzheimer’s drug development pipeline.

Emory Vaccine Center

Emory Vaccine Center scientists discovered the role of the PD-1 protein in inhibiting the immune response to chronic viral infections, which paved the way for cancer immunotherapy. The center is one of ten sites around the nation set up by the NIH dedicated to developing and testing vaccine candidates aimed at preventing infectious disease.

DRIVE: Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory

Emory's biotechnology company DRIVE: Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory, identifies promising discoveries and licenses them through the Emory Institute for Drug Development, housed in a 12,000 square foot facility on the Emory campus. DRIVE is focused on drugs to treat globally challenging infections such as COVID-19, Dengue, Chikungunya, Rift Valley fever, respiratory syncytial virus, and equine encephalitis.