Xpress Biologics
" Xpress Biologics, a Belgian based CDMO, has several strategies to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic which includes: - The development of a serology assay to detect Covid-19 seroconversion in humans based on the manufacturing of 3 specific COVID-19 antigens ( full-length Spike protein, S1 subunit, RBD domain) using Pichia pastoris as expression system - Plasmid DNA manufacturing expertise for the development of anti-COVID DNA vaccines - Recombinant protein or antibody fragments manufacturing expertise for diagnostic and treatment of COVID-19 Xpress Biologics has adapted technological platforms that are available to meet the COVID-19 pandemic challenge. In particular our Molecular Biology solution can rapidly help us develop microbial strains for robust and efficient expression of several type of biologics such as viral antigens, neutralizing antibody fragments and DNA vaccines while through our Upstream Process platform we can rapidly engineer industrial processes for...

Read more: Alexandre Di Paolo, Business Development Manager

ULiège, CIRM - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" The pandemic has highlighted a critical need of local production of essential drugs used in first-line emergency care of COVID-19 patients. The present consortium has developed a dedicated unit to address this need (both organic synthesis and quality control) following strict quality assurance rules observed by the pharmaceutical industry. The pandemic has highlighted a critical need of local production of essential drugs used in first-line emergency care of COVID-19 patients. The present consortium has developed a dedicated unit to address this need (both organic synthesis and quality control) following strict quality assurance rules observed by the pharmaceutical industry. "
Contact: Prof. Marianne FILLET, CIRM Director, University of Liège https://www.cirm.uliege.be This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège, GIGA
" There is no effective antiviral treatment for SARS-Cov-2 which is responsible for the current pandemic. Research efforts are therefore focused on the rapid development of vaccines and the evaluation of antiviral drugs. Testing the effectiveness of these on virus cultures is laborious and requires a BSL3 environment. In order to be able to evaluate (quickly and in safe conditions) the effectiveness of the various drugs acting against this virus, cells expressing Sars-Cov2 viral enzymes will be generated. In these cells, enzymatic activity would be easily quantifiable using a reporter system. In a first phase of our project, different FDA-approuved drugs will be tested, hoping to identify some that will be effective against viral enzymes. "
Funding: FONDATION LEON FREDERICQ
Contact: Dr. Emmanuel Di Valentin Platform manager University of LIEGE (ULiege) Giga Viral Vectors Platform Tour GIGA B34 (+4) CHU Avenue Hypocrate 1 B-4000 LIEGE (Sart Tilman) Tel. +32 (0) 4 366 45...

Read more: Emmanuel Di Valentin, Doctor

UMONS 
" Development of a Covid-19 serum library within the UMONS biobank. Collection and storage of samples (serum, blood or urine samples as well as nasopharyngeal samples) from patients diagnosed with Covid-19 positive or negative by an RT-PCR test. Collaboration between UMONS and Ambroise-Paré hospital (Mons) as well as Epicura hospital network (Baudour, Hornu). "
Funding: UMONS logistic and fiinancial supports
Contact: UMONS Biobank Prof. A. legrand, Manager Dr. F. Journe, Coordinator

UCLouvain, CHU UCLouvain/UNamur
" Evaluation of the thrombotic risk associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and its management in the intensive care unit: a clinical and biological longitudinal study. Background Since the beginning of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in December 2019, data accumulate regarding the high thrombotic risk associated with this infection, which could explain substantial part of the observed morbidity and mortality (1). Accordingly, a retrospective study suggested that prophylactic anticoagulation could reduce mortality in severe COVID-19 patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy (2). Furthermore, a European cohort reported a 27% incidence of venous thrombo-embolisms (VTEs) despite systematic prophylactic anticoagulation, raising the question whether deeper anticoagulant regimen would be beneficial in severe COVID-19 (3). Some authors also suggested that fibrinolysis alterations could be a significant determinant of SARS-CoV-2 infection's prognosis, as it is in...

Read more: Francois Mullier, Prof - Alain Dive, Prof - Michael Hardy, Dr - Sarah Lessire, Prof - Isabelle...

ULiège - FNRS
" Our solution for SARS-CoV-2 induced disease is to develop small molecules able to disrupt interactions between CoV-2 proteins and human interacting proteins. We anticipate that these molecules will substantially affect CoV-2 virulence and associated lung inflammation. "
Funding: none
Contact: Dr.Jean-Claude TWIZERE University of Liege GIGA -Molecular Biology of Diseases Viral Interactomes Lab 1 Avenue de l'Hopital B-4000 Liege Belgium
Comment: We are looking for funding as well as potential collaborations in an "OPENSCREEN" strategy.

Aesculape CRO Belgium BV
" Treatment of COVID 19 complications with antibodies "
Funding: partly public partly private
Contact : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0492 735931

EXO Biologics
" EXO Biologics plans to extend its research and development program towards the COVID-19 crisis by using its unique and disruptive technology based on Extracellular Vesicles. These nanometer size particles are gaining momentum in the scientific community as potential alternatives to stem cell and biologic drugs therapies in the fields of immunology, neurology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology among others. EXO Biologics has 12 years of experience in cell-based regenerative medicine and 8 years of experience in Extracellular Vesicles. Our advancements in research will play an important role for our company mission to provide affordable and accessible therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. "
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULB
" Inhaled ivermectin against COVID-19 study. Development of solution for nebulisation - preclinical safety and efficacy in animal models and clinical evaluation. CORONAVIRUS 2020 (CUR) research project submitted to FNRS on May 1, 2020. "
Funding: FNRS (requested)
Contact: Professor Karim Amighi Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Faculty of Pharmacy Campus Plaine, CP-207 Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels - Belgium This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain
" I have been asked by the IATDMCT to pilot a review sumarizing the potential interactions that it could have between investigational COVID antivirals and immunosuppressants (used to avoid rejection in solid organ transplantation) "
Publication References: PubMed ID=32304488 Pharmacologic treatment of transplant recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2: considerations regarding therapeutic drug monitoring and drug-drug interactions. Ther Drug Monit. 2020 Apr 15. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0000000000000761. [Epub ahead of print]
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège, CIRM, FARAH
" Several natural products (i.e. lycorine, glycyrrhizine, extracts of Pelargonium, Echinacea, Sambucus,...) have shown activity against coronaviruses. Several plants have been used in Chinese Medicine to treat patients with COVID-19. The objective of this project is to evaluate several natural products against SARS-COV2 in vitro and confirm their potential for further development. "
Funding: Own funding.
Contact: Prof Michel FREDERICH https://www.cirm.uliege.be This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège 
" There is a critical need for therapeutic solutions against SARS-CoV-2. Before implementing innovative treatments in human medicine, a first screening of the antiviral or immunomodulatory activity should be performed by in vitro and in vivo methods. To this aim, we developed in vitro (cell culture) and in vivo (hamsters and mice) models of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We developed an in vitro (cell culture) and in vivo (hamsters and mice) to screen antiviral or immunomodulatory molecules, in partnership with colleagues from the ULiège hospital and the GIGA research center. We also validate the inactivation protocols to facilitate the diagnostic workflow, in partnership with the Federal task force. "
Funding: Currently no funding. We applied to the "Crédits urgents de recherche" call.
Contact: Mutien Garigliany, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVP Professor Department of Pathology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Centre for Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH) Liège...

Read more: Mutien Garigliany, Professor - Daniel Desmecht, Professor

CMMI
" The Center of Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI) is currently involved in establishing an accurate SARS-CoV-2 virus distribution topography in the organs and various cells of patients who died in COVID-19 units by providing immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy services (study director Pr. Isabelle Salmon). We have also developed and are currently offering preclinical multimodal quantitative imaging - of lung inflammation - of bacterial population (pathogen or no pathogen) - and of viral infection by isotopic imaging. All these models enable the understanding of pulmonary pathological features caused by SARS-viruses such as CoVID-19. From molecular to humanized animal models, the CMMI provides customized imaging solutions to research projects on Coronavirus The CMMI is also a proud partner of the ULB diagnostic platform set-up in Gosselies to face the epidemic of SARS-CoV2. "
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Comment: The CMMI was co-founded by ULB et UMons and is supported...

Read more: Serge Goldman, Scientific Director

GIGA-Institute, ULiège - FNRS - Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
" The main objective of our research program is the identification of human genetic factors impacting the COVID19 pandemic. Within the COVID-19 host genetics initiative (https://www.covid19hg.org/), we will establish a shared set of phenotypes to be combined with genomic data for standard GWAS and further meta-analysis. Field of expertise of our laboratory : genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, immune-response related diseases. In addition, the GIGA Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute from the ULiege devoted to academic excellence in the biomedical sciences to foster ground-breaking medical innovation. It comprises 583 members attached to six faculties (Medicine, Science, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Agbiotech, Psychology) that are organized in four disease-based (neuroscience, cancer, infection-inflammation-immunity, cardiovascular) and two method-based thematic units...

Read more: Souad Rahmouni, Doctor

UMONS and Ambroise-Paré Hospital Mons
" Predictive plasma signature of the clinical behavior of COVID-19 patients. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 infection varies from mild to asymptomatic to pneumonia, which can be complicated by severe respiratory failure and/or cardiovascular, renal, hepatic and cutaneous involvement. The understanding of such a polymorphism is very incomplete and the prognosis is difficult. Several tracks involving inflammatory reactions are currently favored to better explain this disease. In particular, the significant increase in plasma cytokines IL2, IL7, IL10, GSCF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A and TNFα, known as "cytokine storm", seems to be significantly associated with the ARDS and multi-organ onsets. In this context, IL6 seems to play an important role and targeted treatments against this cytokine seem promising. Also, the infection of endothelial cells by the coronavirus causing endothelium inflammation have been suggested as one of the fundamental...

Read more: Stéphane CARLIER, Prof - Jean-Marie COLET, Prof - Fabrice JOURNE, Dr - Sven SAUSSEZ, Prof- Vincent...