NordForsk has granted approximately 165,500 euros (NOK 1,871,649) in funding to NORD-AViD, the Nordic Network for Anti-Virulence Drug Discovery and Delivery, under the NordForsk call for Nordic research networks within natural science and related engineering fields. The project leader is Academy Research Fellow Prasanthi Medarametla who leads the Anti-Virulence Drug Discovery Group at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). Medarametla’s research group is a member of the multi-disciplinary Drug Discovery and Delivery Technologies research community (DrugTech RC) at the UEF.
The main focus of the project is to combat bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious global health threats, causing over 133,000 deaths annually in the EU alone. To address this urgent challenge, the NORD-AViD network brings together eight early-career researchers from five Nordic institutions across four countries to develop innovative alternatives to conventional antibiotics. In addition to UEF, the project involves Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, the University of Bergen in Norway and the Arctic University of Norway.
Instead of killing bacteria, the project focuses on anti-virulence therapies that disarm pathogens by reducing their ability to cause disease. This approach helps the immune system clear infections while minimising selective pressure, thereby lowering the risk of resistance development and preserving beneficial microbiota.
By combining expertise in omics, artificial intelligence, computational drug design, medicinal chemistry, and experimental screening, the team will advance the drug discovery pipeline from target identification to lead optimisation and safety evaluation.
“By integrating these approaches, we aim to uncover novel molecular mechanisms and identify potent anti-virulence agents as effective means of fighting bacterial pathogenicity,” Medarametla says.
“Our goal is to introduce novel drug candidates that can fight bacterial infections while preserving microbiome health and minimising the risk of resistance development. Our collaborative effort will serve as a foundation for an innovative antimicrobial pipeline driven by Nordic expertise.”
Nordforsk news release and project facts:
New networks within natural science and related engineering fields granted funding
NORD-AViD: Nordic network for Anti-Virulence Drug Discovery and Delivery
