Discovery

It is appropriate that the word “Draco” has been appropriated by the inventor of the first antiviral treatment that promises to work against all viruses.

Rider drew inspiration for his therapeutic agents, dubbed DRACOs (double-stranded RNA-activated caspase oligomerizers), from living cells’ own defense systems.

DRACO is but one broad-spectrum therapeutic being developed as part of a project called PANACEA (Pharmacological Augmentation of Nonspecific Anti-pathogen Cellular Enzymes and Activities) headed by Dr. Todd Rider.

If anyone’s qualified to advance the war on viruses, it’s Todd Rider.

Todd Rider was struck with a blinding insight about viruses—specifically, an idea for how to stop any virus in the world.

A new broad-spectrum treatment for viruses could be as effective as antibiotics fighting bacteria.

A potentially groundbreaking drug appears effective against a wide range of viral infections, including the common cold, flu, stomach viruses, polio and dengue fever.

It’s the first time a single drug has been shown to work against a range of viruses, from those that cause seasonal sniffles to more fatal diseases.

There might be a faster cure for the common cold—as well as potentially any viral infection.

Viruses might soon meet their kryptonite: an experimental drug that can, in theory, obliterate cells infected by any type of virus without harming healthy neighbours.

The drug not only has the potential to knock out a wide array of bugs, it also remains effective even if a virus mutates and will not harm cells where no virus is present—an obvious safety concern.

DRACO, a broad-spectrum anti-viral drug, which could be a ‘Penicillin moment’ in the treatment of viruses.

Todd Rider entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986 at age 17 and left nine years later with four degrees, including a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science. He also minored in relativistic quantum field theory and solid state and optical physics… While there, and not busy studying for his four degrees, he took time to learn French, German, Chinese, and Japanese. He also picked up several ancient languages, including Sumerian and Mayan, because he wanted to be able to read the inscriptions on museum artifacts… Biomedicine, in a way, was a backup, but now consumes him.