Aligos Therapeutics Joins Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA) for COVID-19 Pandemic Relief

Aligos Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced its participation in the newly formed Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA), a consortium awarded a three-year, $65,141,731 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program. The MAVDA aims to develop novel antiviral treatments for SARS-CoV-2, its variants, and other coronaviruses that may cause pandemics.

The MAVDA combines academic and industry experts in virology and drug development from various institutions, including Rockefeller University, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), Rutgers University, and non-profit organizations. The consortium will focus on developing candidates targeting eight molecular targets with essential roles in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, including Aligos' 3CLpro inhibitor, ALG-097558.

"We are excited to be part of the MAVDA, as it aligns with our mission to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," said Lawrence M. Blatt, Ph.D., MBA, Chairman and CEO of Aligos Therapeutics. "Our 3CLpro inhibitor, ALG-097558, has shown superior potency against SARS-CoV-2 and multiple resistant variants, and we believe it has the potential to address the current group of circulating COVID-19 variants and future variants as well."

Key Takeaways:

• Aligos Therapeutics has joined the Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA) for COVID-19 pandemic relief along with other academic and industry experts in virology and drug development from various institutions.
• The MAVDA has been awarded a three-year, $65,141,731 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program.
• The consortium will focus on developing candidates targeting eight molecular targets with essential roles in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, including Aligos' 3CLpro inhibitor, ALG-097558.
• ALG-097558 has shown superior potency against SARS-CoV-2 and multiple resistant variants and has the potential to address the current group of circulating COVID-19 variants and future variants as well.
• The project aims to rapidly develop drugs that can be administered orally in an outpatient setting.
• Aligos Therapeutics expects to file a Phase 1 clinical trial application for ALG-097558 in the second half of 2022.

Statistics:

• $65,141,731: The grant awarded to the MAVDA by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program.
• Three years: The duration of the grant awarded to the MAVDA.
• 8: The number of molecular targets with essential roles in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle that the MAVDA will focus on developing candidates for.
• ALG-097558: The 3CLpro inhibitor developed by Aligos Therapeutics that has shown superior potency against SARS-CoV-2 and multiple resistant variants.

Sources:

• "Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Participation in Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA) for COVID-19 Pandemic Relief," Aligos Therapeutics, June 6, 2022.
• GlobeNewswire, "Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Participation in Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator (MAVDA) for COVID-19 Pandemic Relief," June 6, 2022.
• National Institutes of Health, "NIH Awards $122 Million to Accelerate Development of Antiviral Therapies for COVID-19," February 22, 2022.