April 6, 2021 – Janssen, Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Belgian subsidiary, and Cidara Therapeutics (San Diego, CA) struck a $27 million deal upfront for access to a new class of drugs, antiviral conjugates (AVCs). Cidara could be in line for another $753 million for R&D budgeting and milestones. AVCs are antivirals coupled to a human antibody fragment. They are designed to inhibit viral replication and also engage the immune system. Cidara claims the new class of drugs could work against all strains of flu and plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the end of 2021. Cidara will be responsible for development and manufacturing until Phase 2.