Metropolis AntiViral Drug Accelerator: Pharmacology Core
Official title: Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (Pharmacology Core)
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11617031 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A dedicated program to speed up promising antiviral drugs by testing their behavior in the body and choosing the best candidates for further development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project start | May 16, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,685,000 |
| NIH project number | 4U19AI171401-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11617031 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation in this phase; this core supports drug discovery and preclinical evaluation.
✕Less likely to help
None of the core activities require patient participation at this stage.
What this research studies
This grant supports a pharmacology core that studies how potential antiviral drugs behave in the body, focusing on how well they reach their target, how they’re processed, and their safety window. Researchers will perform chemical profiling, in vitro and in vivo studies in mice, and early formulation work to understand which compounds are most suitable for efficacy testing. The goal is to create a clear path from promising chemical hits to lead drugs with appropriate pharmacokinetics and tolerability for future animal efficacy studies. The work will be done at a specialized center with advanced facilities to ensure rigorous and harmonized decision-making.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could streamline the development of effective antiviral drugs that are safe and potent enough to move toward animal efficacy testing and, eventually, human trials.
How similar studies have gone: Other antiviral drug development programs have used ADME profiling and lead optimization to prioritize candidates with better chances of success in efficacy studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Petraitis, Vidmantas — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Petraitis, Vidmantas
Related research
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Orally accessible antiviral leaders to fight COVID-19 and related coronaviruses
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Metropolitan Antiviral Drug Accelerator Virology Core
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Broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor for antiviral therapy
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Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator: Animal Models
A large NIH-funded effort uses animal models to test new antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses to move promising leads toward early development.
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Metropolitan Antiviral Drug Accelerator
A national program at Hackensack University Medical Center to help develop and optimize small-molecule drugs that may block key SARS-CoV-2 proteins, potentially slowing COVID-19 replication.
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Metropolitan Antiviral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA)
A national effort to speed up the discovery and development of new antiviral medicines to fight diseases like COVID-19, with a focus on making lead compounds that could become effective treatments.
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.