Richard Plemper

Richard Plemper, Regents' Professor and Distinguished University Professor at Georgia State University and Director of the Georgia State Center for Translational Antiviral Research, specializes in pathogenesis of respiratory RNA viruses and the development of next-generation antiviral therapeutics directed against respiratory viruses of pandemic concern. He has established the GSU high-throughput antiviral drug screening facility and identified novel drug candidates that are currently at different stages of development. Plemper is a Director of the Georgia State/Emory Antiviral Countermeasure Development Center (AC/DC), one of nine federally supported antiviral drug development (AViDD) centers in the nation that have been established to improve pandemic preparedness through next-generation antiviral therapeutics, and leads the SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug discovery project of the AC/DC. Outside of the AC/DC, his laboratory receives NIH support to study the entry and replication machinery of influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and emerging and re-emerging paramyxo viruses such as human parainfluenza viruses, measles virus, and Nipah virus.

Research Interests

Pathogenesis of respiratory RNA viruses and antiviral drug development
It is the overarching objective of research in the Plemper lab to identify determinants of respiratory RNA virus pathogenesis and apply this knowledge to the design of innovative antiviral therapeutics. Current projects concentrate on three major areas:

• Develop relevant animal models for COVID-19 to characterize recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and determine efficacy of therapeutic candidates against SARS-CoV-2 replication and transmission
  The Plemper lab has first reported oral efficacy of EIDD-2801 (molnupiravir) against influenza viruses and has made major contributions to the advance of molnupiravir against SARS-CoV-2. Current work explores pharmacological control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the ferret model, intervention with severe COVID-19-like acute lung injury in a newly developed Roborovski dwarf hamster model, and the impact of treatment on persistent viral infection.
• Biology and antiviral control of emerging and re-emerging paramyxo- and pneumoviruses
  We have developed orally efficacious clinical candidates directed against the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complexes of respiratory syncytial virus and clinically-relevant members of the paramyxovirus family such as measles virus, human parainfluenza viruses, and the highly-pathogenic henipaviruses. In biochemical projects, we explore the molecular mechanism of activity and extract molecular pharmacophores through structural analysis of polymerase complexes with bound inhibitor for structure-informed drug design. In animal models, we examine the effect of co-infection by different respiratory viruses on disease severity and study the therapeutic window for mitigation of exacerbated disease after co-infection.
• Broad-spectrum influenza virus inhibitors that overcome limitations of current therapeutics
  Currently licensed influenza drugs suffer from rapidly emerging viral resistance, narrow therapeutic time windows, and poor patient compliance. Our anti-influenza virus program concentrates on candidates with high genetic barrier against viral escape, pharmacokinetic properties compatible with rapid build-up of sterilizing drug levels in disease-relevant tissues and once-daily administration. We combine in vitro and in vivo resistance profiling with synthetic optimization of performance in animal models and disease-relevant human organoid models to reach these goals.