History

The research group of the Section of General Microbiology and Virology & Microbial Biotechnologies begun its activity early in the 90s through fundings obtained within the AIDS Project of the Italian Health Ministry. From ‘90 to ’99 the group had a regular flow of financial resources that allowed to plan investments on equipment and personnel and to guarantee continuity to research activities.

Scientific publications in major journals in the field of medicinal chemistry gave us international visibility and, as a consequence, the chance to participate to one of the most successful spin off initiatives of the last ten years in the USA: the one that determined the birth of Idenix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (originally Novirio) through the confluence of the antiviral research projects of three Groups: Farmacologists at the Birmingham University (Alabama, USA); Chemists at Montpellier University and CNRS (France); Virologists at the University of Cagliari (Italy).

This initiative led to the establishment, in Macchiareddu, of the Cooperative Laboratory Idenix – University of Cagliari, having as main objectives the development of:

a class of nucleoside analogues (characterized by a methyl at position 2’ of ribose), which turned out to be potent inhibitors of the polymerase of some RNA virus families, one of which also includes HCV, the hepatitis C virus.
two different classes of non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), initially studied in the above mentioned AIDS project;

Currently, 2’ methyl nucleosides are in clinical trials (carried out by Idenix / Novartis and Pharmasset / Roche) for the therapy of HCV infections.
A representative of a class of indole derivatives has also been the object of Phase I clinical trials (carried out by Idenix) in AIDS patients. Recently, indole derivatives have been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline.
A DABO prototype, objective of an European Project, is under experimentation in monkeys to demonstrate its efficacy as a microbicide to prevent sexual HIV transmission/acquisition.

In parallel, within the Laboratories of Monserrato and Macchiareddu, the groups keeps carrying on its research activity mainly focussed on antiviral activity and on biotechnologies applied to the environment.