Cocrystal Pharma's Norovirus Oral Antiviral Candidate Demonstrates Potent Activity Against the Emerging GII.17 Variants

Core Insights - Cocrystal Pharma's investigational drug candidate CDI-988 demonstrates strong binding and potency against the GII.17 protease, similar to its effectiveness against GII.4 norovirus variants, which have been the dominant strains until recently [1][2] - The company plans to initiate a human norovirus challenge study in 2025 to evaluate CDI-988 for the prevention and treatment of norovirus infections [1][6] Company Overview - Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel antiviral therapeutics targeting noroviruses, influenza viruses, coronaviruses, and hepatitis C viruses [5] - The company utilizes unique structure-based technologies and expertise in structural biology to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs [5] Product Development - CDI-988 is a pan-viral protease inhibitor designed for broad-spectrum antiviral activity against noroviruses and coronaviruses, with a novel mechanism of action [3][4] - A Phase 1 study has been completed, showing favorable safety and tolerability for CDI-988 in healthy adults [3][6] Market Context - Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis globally, with an estimated 685 million cases and around 50,000 child deaths annually, resulting in a societal cost of approximately $60 billion [2] - The emergence of GII.17 variants has led to increased norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe [6]