Grant: Catalyst Grant: Pandemic Outbreak Research Response

The swine flu spreads rapidly and although it causes only mild disease in many, it results in serious illness and death in vulnerable populations, which includes pregnant women, children, and first nations people. Strains of the virus that resist the anti-viral drug Tamiful are already present in Canada. The research team made up of scientists from universities and public health agencies across Canada will rapidly develop a new drug that will treat patients who are severely ill with swine flu infection. This drug will be a faithful copy that will be manufactured under carefully controlled conditions of a naturally generated human antibody that specifically targets and neutralizes the swine flu virus. This research will result in a weapon in the fight against other newly emerged viruses.