“This plan – called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics – will respond to the urgent need for antivirals to treat COVID-19 by spurring the availability of medicines to prevent serious illness and save lives. It also will build sustainable platforms for discovery and development of antivirals for other viruses with pandemic potential, helping better prepare the nation to face future viral threats,” an HHS press release said.

The $3 billion investment is funded by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the release said.

The effort seeks to develop a new generation of anti-viral drugs that could be taken orally, at home following when symptoms of the disease first emerge, similar to antiviral drugs often given to flu victims, especially those at high risk for complications, the release added.

This plan accelerates and expands government backing of clinical trials for newly developed antiviral drugs, including 19 medications that have been prioritized for as potential therapies.

It budgets more than $300 million for research and lab support, nearly $1 billion for preclinical and clinical evaluation, and nearly $700 million for development and manufacturing through the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), according to the release.

As an example, the release cited the Biden administration’s purchase of 1.5 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 drug from the pharmaceutical company Merck earlier this. If ongoing clinical trials prove successful, Merck said it could apply for emergency use authorization later this year.