A Legacy of Discovery Meets an Unprecedented Advance

Model Medicines is honored to announce its selection as a presenting company at ID Week 2025, the preeminent forum for infectious disease research, clinical science, and therapeutic innovation. On August 12, 2025, we announced that we will unveil the complete preclinical proof‑of‑concept dataset for MDL‑001, our first‑in‑category, orally available, broad‑spectrum antiviral. This marks the first public presentation of a comprehensive data package for MDL‑001, including newly generated mechanistic insights and preclinical validation across multiple viral families.

MDL‑001 is a non‑nucleoside inhibitor of RNA‑dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) that has demonstrated:

• In vivo proof‑of‑concept against three viral families.

• In vitro efficacy against seven viruses.

• Consistent multi‑log reductions in viral load across diverse RNA viruses.

These results build upon decades of antiviral research by scientists who mapped viral replication, discovered conserved enzymatic targets, and advanced life‑saving therapies. Their work forms the foundations of broad‑spectrum antiviral science, the legacy that MDL‑001 now extends.

Honoring the Scientific Community Behind the Virology

MDL‑001’s progress reflects the dedication of an extraordinary network of laboratories and scientists. This includes the principal investigators whose vision drives the research, the teams of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research associates who execute it, and the mentor‑mentee relationships that ensure knowledge, skill, and scientific rigor are passed forward.

We also intend this series as a tribute. Throughout, we will highlight the scientists, institutions, and collaborative networks that advanced the field, often decades before their importance became apparent. From early pioneers to modern leaders as well as the many mentees who have gone on to shape the next generation of virology and therapeutic discovery, this series honors those who have developed transformative antivirals and inspired a lineage of innovation in infectious disease research.

Why This Matters

MDL‑001 addresses a critical unmet need for a stockpile‑ready, broad‑spectrum antiviral that can be deployed at the point of care, before the exact pathogen is known. Its conserved RdRp Thumb‑1 target site enables pan‑viral coverage and its exceptional lung and liver penetration positions it uniquely for two major disease categories:

• Respiratory Viruses: coronaviruses, influenza viruses, RSV.

• Chronic Liver Viruses: hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus.

The data to be presented at ID Week reflects reproducible efficacy generated at multiple globally recognized research institutes, including Mount Sinai, UC San Diego, and Scripps Research, with contributions from Dr. Adolfo García‑Sastre, Dr. Kris White, Dr. Davey Smith, and Dr. Philippe Gallay.

The Journey to ID Week 2025

Leading up to ID Week, The Foundations of Broad‑Spectrum will explore each of the following in depth:

Respiratory Viruses

1. Coronaviruses (Coronaviridae)

2. Influenza viruses (Orthomyxoviridae)

3. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) (Pneumoviridae)

Chronic Liver Viruses

4. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) (Hepadnaviridae)
5. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) (Flaviviridae)
6. Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) (Kolmioviridae)

Each week will combine historical and scientific overviews, analysis of current therapeutic gaps, and discussion of how MDL‑001’s breadth could redefine both outbreak response and chronic care.