Autonomous Therapeutics Inc.

Autonomous Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in developing innovative antiviral therapeutics and rapid-response platforms, with a particular focus on advanced RNA-based technologies. Registered in SAM.gov since January 2017, the company is a for-profit corporate entity located in Silver Spring, Maryland, that provides cutting-edge research and development services to federal agencies, particularly in the biotechnology and medical countermeasures domains.

Through its federal contract awards, Autonomous Therapeutics has demonstrated capabilities in supporting defense and research objectives. The company was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from the Department of the Navy's Naval Air Systems Command, valued at approximately one million dollars, which supported naval aviation technology research and development from May 2021 through September 2023. This contract was a total small business set-aside, aimed at fostering innovation through small business partnerships. The contract involved conducting research and development at the company's Rockville facility to advance specific naval technology goals.

The company's federal grant awards primarily focus on developing advanced antiviral technologies, with multiple significant grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). These grants include a $1,004,473 project to develop "encrypted RNA" (EncRNA) therapeutics targeting RNA viruses, particularly SARS-CoV-2 variants, with the goal of creating a self-administered, variant-proof therapy. Another grant supports developing synthetic RNA sensors for high-throughput screening of broad-spectrum antivirals, and a third grant focuses on targeting feedback circuitry for antiviral therapy, specifically addressing Cytomegalovirus (CMV) challenges.

Autonomous Therapeutics holds two notable federal contract Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDV) agreements. The first is an Other Transaction IDV with the Joint PEO Chemical and Biological Defense, valued at $40,361,551, aimed at optimizing a pathogen-agnostic platform to accelerate medical countermeasures delivery for warfighters. The second is a Basic Ordering Agreement with Naval Air Warfare Center in support of an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) topic, demonstrating the company's ability to support complex defense research and development initiatives. These IDVs underscore the company's strategic importance in developing innovative medical technologies for national security and defense applications.