Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11539939 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A partnership between academia and industry in New York City/NJ to discover and advance new oral antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and related viruses.
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) | $13,895,048 |
| NIH project number | 4U19AI171401-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539939 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals at risk from COVID-19 or related coronaviruses who could benefit from oral antiviral therapies once developed.
✕Less likely to help
This program does not directly enroll patients; it focuses on drug discovery and development that may lead to future trials.
What this research studies
This program unites top virologists and drug-discovery experts from universities and the pharmaceutical industry to identify promising antiviral compounds. It focuses on accelerating the early drug-discovery steps so that safe, effective oral treatments can reach patients sooner. By combining academic biology insights with industry development know-how, MAVDA aims to move candidates from discovery toward clinical development. The effort emphasizes collaboration, shared resources, and streamlined pathways to bring new antivirals to people at risk from SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could gain faster access to oral antiviral drugs that work against COVID-19 and related viruses.
How similar studies have gone: Public-private antiviral collaborations have shown potential in accelerating drug candidates through early development stages.
Where this research is happening
-
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perlin, David S — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Perlin, David S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Orally accessible antiviral leaders to fight COVID-19 and related coronaviruses
A research effort to fast-track safe, easy-to-take oral drugs that can treat COVID-19 and other coronaviruses by repurposing and optimizing existing antiviral compounds.
-
Metropolitan Antiviral Drug Accelerator Virology Core
A core team across top hospitals and universities is testing antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses to identify promising drugs for COVID-19.
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Broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor for antiviral therapy
Researchers are developing a new small-molecule drug that blocks a key SARS-CoV-2 enzyme, with potential to treat COVID-19 across multiple virus variants.
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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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Metropolis AntiViral Drug Accelerator: Pharmacology Core
A dedicated program to speed up promising antiviral drugs by testing their behavior in the body and choosing the best candidates for further 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.
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.