AT191: A self-administered RNA antiviral that fights SARS-CoV-2 across variants
Official title: AT191: An inhaled & precision RNA therapeutic with pan-variant SARS-CoV-2 efficacy
Funded at Autonomous Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-11415109 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new inhaled RNA-based antiviral (AT191) being developed to be used at home to help prevent hospitalizations and deaths from SARS-CoV-2 across its variants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Autonomous Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Silver Spring, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $976,628 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AI186871-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415109 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people at risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes who could benefit from a home-use antiviral and are able to access the treatment under prescribed conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection or those with contraindications to this delivery method may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to de-risk and advance AT191, a self-administered antiviral derived from a platform that can target RNA viruses. It focuses on making the therapy effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and adaptable to other RNA viruses like influenza. The work is designed to move from a lead candidate toward a practical, home-use treatment that could reduce severe outcomes and lessen the burden on hospitals. The approach combines a novel encRNA platform with targeted delivery to infected cells to minimize safety concerns and improve real-world usability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have a safe, easy-to-use at-home antiviral option that reduces hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 and potentially other RNA viruses.
How similar studies have gone: Past antivirals have reduced hospitalizations, but this approach aims for at-home use with broad variant activity, representing a novel and promising direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Autonomous Therapeutics, INC.
Silver Spring, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weinberger, Ariel — Autonomous Therapeutics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Weinberger, Ariel
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.