10 years of the ISRV-AVG

The Antiviral Group was established in 2011 following the merger of the Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network (NISN) with the International Society for Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Diseases (ISIRV). This initiative provided a formal governance structure that allowed the Antiviral Group to broaden and enhance the activities of the former NISN, while also placing the expanded Society on a firmer financial foundation to support its development as a more active and broadly based organization.

The specific objectives of the ISIRV Antiviral Group (ISIRV-AVG) are to promote understanding of the clinical use of antivirals against respiratory viruses; provide up-to-date information on the emergence of antiviral resistance; and communicate expert commentary on the preclinical and clinical development of potential new antivirals.

To this end, the Group has organized a series of annual AVG conferences on specific topics in various geographic locations, along with other smaller specialist meetings and workshops, and has participated in other ISIRV events. To support surveillance and characterization of influenza viruses resistant to neuraminidase inhibitors, the Group provided, from 2011 to 2018, a panel of resistant and sensitive viruses to serve as standards for antiviral susceptibility assays.

Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AVG organized its first virtual conference, Therapeutics for COVID-19, in October 2020. To mark the 10th anniversary of the AVG and the 15th anniversary of ISIRV, the Group co-organized a joint ISIRV-WHO virtual conference in October 2021.

The outcomes of meetings and workshops have been widely disseminated through published reports, slide presentations, and posters on the AVG website. As part of its educational outreach, the AVG has provided Travel Grants to assist delegates from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in attending its meetings and workshops.

Meetings and Workshops (2011–2021)

The inaugural meeting, Influenza Antivirals: Efficacy and Resistance, held in Rio de Janeiro on 8–10 November 2011, was co-organized with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), with a focus on surveillance and assays for detecting and characterizing resistance to antivirals in Latin America, in the aftermath of the 2009 pandemic. Proceedings were published as a special issue of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.

The 2nd ISIRV-AVG conference, Severe Influenza: Burden, Pathogenesis and Management, held in Hanoi on 29–31 October 2012, was co-organized with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), reflecting the ongoing threat of H5N1 and the divergent evolution of the virus, particularly in Southeast Asia. Proceedings were published as a special issue of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.

A training workshop on Sequence Analysis and Detection of Antiviral Resistance was co-organized with GISAID, with support from WHO, on 7 September 2013 in Cape Town during the Options for Control of Influenza VIII conference. Participants were primarily from WHO-designated laboratories in African and other low-resource countries.

A small discussion meeting on Clinical Trial Endpoints for Studies of Antivirals in Hospitalized and At-Risk Patients was also held on 8 September 2013 in Cape Town during the Options for Control of Influenza VIII conference.

The 3rd ISIRV-AVG conference, Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Infections: Advances in Clinical Management, held in Tokyo on 4–6 June 2014, was co-organized with Keiyu Hospital, Yokohama. The location highlighted Japan’s extensive experience with the effective use of antivirals to combat seasonal and pandemic influenza, as well as its role in developing novel antiviral agents. An overview was published in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.

A workshop on Next Generation Sequencing of Viruses, held in Paris on 20–21 May 2015, was co-organized with the Pasteur Institute.

The 4th ISIRV-AVG conference, Novel Antiviral Therapies for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses: Bench to Bedside, co-organized with the University of Texas at Austin on 2–4 June 2015, focused on the discovery and development of inhibitors targeting novel respiratory virus mechanisms and key host cell factors. A report was published in Antiviral Research.

A two-day training workshop on Genetic Analyses of Influenza Viruses, held in Hong Kong on 21–22 November 2015, was co-organized with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GISAID, and WHO.

Another training workshop on Genetic Analyses of Influenza Viruses, held in Chicago on 29 August 2016 following the Options X conference, was co-organized with Northwestern University, GISAID, and WHO.

The 5th ISIRV-AVG conference, Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Viral Infections, held in Shanghai on 14–16 June 2017, was co-organized with the Shanghai Public Health Center and Fudan University. A report was published in Antiviral Research.

A symposium, Influenza 2018: Centenary of the 1918 Pandemic, was held in London on 24–26 June 2018 to mark the centenary of the 1918 pandemic and to reflect on the extent to which advances in medical science have improved the world’s capacity to combat a similarly devastating pandemic today. The event was co-organized with the Francis Crick Institute and WHO.

The 6th ISIRV-AVG conference, Advances in Respiratory Virus Therapeutics, held in Washington, D.C., on 13–15 November 2018, was co-organized with NIAID, the FDA, and BARDA. The program addressed both preclinical advances and the latest data from clinical trials, with a particular focus on the design of trials aligned with regulatory pathways for bringing therapeutics into clinical practice. A report was published in Antiviral Research.

A specialist ISIRV-AVG meeting on Polymerase Inhibitor Resistance, held in Atlanta on 7–8 August 2019, brought together public health experts, academics, and company representatives conducting studies on new antivirals targeting influenza RNA polymerase. The purpose was to support the development of expert consensus on the role of new polymerase inhibitors and the ongoing monitoring of antiviral resistance.

A special virtual conference, Therapeutics for COVID-19, was held on 6–8 October 2020. The comprehensive three-day program covered the virology and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, the clinical spectrum of COVID-19, and the preclinical and clinical development of therapeutics. To accommodate participants across global time zones, session recordings were made available, along with slide presentations and e-posters published on the ISIRV website.

Partnership Organizations

The AVG is deeply grateful to the many organizations that have contributed to the success of its program of conferences, technical workshops, and other activities.

Organizations that have sponsored AVG events (multiple times):
The AVG acknowledges the generous financial support of the many private and public organizations that have ensured the continuing success of the Group’s program of events over the past 10 years:

Organisations that have sponsored AVG events (multiple times)

The AVG acknowledges the generous financial support from the many private and public organisations that have ensured the continuing success of the Group’s programme of events over the past 10 years: