Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

AT191: An inhaled & precision RNA therapeutic with pan-variant SARS-CoV-2 efficacy

Award Number: R44AI186871
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/10/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

AT191: An inhaled & precision RNA therapeutic with pan-variant SARS-CoV-2 efficacy - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This Phase II SBIR will de-risk a new class of antivirals that can be developed to target any RNA virus from SARS-CoV-2 to influenza. The effort will specifically translate a lead, platform-derived SARS-CoV-2 candidate (AT191) designed to be self-administered and to prevent hospitalizations or deaths by any SARS-CoV-2 variant. Despite vaccines and 2 blockbuster antivirals marketed to prevent hospitalizations, 900,000 Americans were hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2 in 2023. Beyond vaccine hesitancy and durability concerns, existing antivirals only reduce hospitalizations and deaths by 40–50%. SARS-CoV-2 antivirals are further limited by contraindications (e.g. Paxlovid) and safety concerns (e.g. molnupiravir). Moreover, there is a risk that SARS- CoV-2 acquires resistance to all existing classes of antivirals—as occurred with all SARS-COV-2 monoclonal antibodies prior to 2024. There is a clear unmet need for new classes of antivirals, especially antivirals that can: (i) be used at-home to prevent hospitalizations, and (ii) maintain (variant-proof) efficacy as novel variants emerge. Encrypted RNA (encRNA) is a new class of RNA developed by Autonomous Therapeutics. The plug-and-play platform technology can develop antivirals against any RNA virus and can encode any therapeutic protein. Unlike state-of-the-art mRNA, each platform-derived encRNA only activates its (broad-spectrum) antiviral payload in targeted virus-infected cells. More specifically, encRNA only translate encoded proteins when bound, transcribed, and amplified by targeted viral RNA polymerase (RdRp) complexes conserved across a viral species. Thus, encRNA remain translationally inactive and safe in uninfected cells (e.g. as prophylactics). AT191 is our lead, first-in-class encRNA therapeutic candidate developed to confer inhaled and variant-proof efficacy against all variants of SARS-CoV-2 (and SARS-CoV-1). AT191 confers precision and pan-sarbecovirus efficacy—because AT191’s antiviral payload (IFN-β) is only activated and translated by sarbecovirus RdRp. In Phase I-equivalent studies, we developed: (i) the encRNA platform technology, (ii) the AT191 lead candidate, and (iii) an inhalable lipid nanoparticle (LNP) for encRNA self-administration using marketed nebulizers. We further demonstrated the (iv) variant-proof efficacy of AT191 against every tested SARS-CoV-2 variant in vitro, and the (v) preliminary in vivo safety and efficacy of AT191 in both mice and hamsters. Here we propose to develop AT191 into a GLP-ready candidate ready for IND-enabling studies. We propose to test the pan-sarbecovirus efficacy (SARS-CoV-1 & 2) of AT191 in vivo and to perform critical CMC, inhalation, dose-timing, and dose-finding studies in hamsters. We will also test safety/efficacy in non-human primates. The effort will culminate in a pre-IND. If successful in follow-on clinical studies, AT191 could be used at-home as a prophylactic or therapeutic: e.g. for immediate use after exposure to an infected child or family member. Beyond SARS-CoV-2, the same encRNA-LNP platform technology could be used to develop precision and variant-proof candidates for any RNA virus—including viruses for which no safe and effective antivirals exist.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $1,004,473 )
2025	2025	AUTONOMOUS THERAPEUTICS INC	11808 AUTH LN	SILVER SPRING	MD	20902	MONTGOMERY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	9/10/2025	NEW	$1,004,473
														Subtotal = $1,004,473

Grand Total All Awards = $1,004,473

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

AT191: An inhaled & precision RNA therapeutic with pan-variant SARS-CoV-2 efficacy

Award Number: R44AI186871

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/10/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer