WAKEFIELD, MA – April 6, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB: IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today the Company is engaged in discussions with health care provider networks and hospitals both in the United States and Europe regarding options to rapidly advance Brilacidin testing into human trials to evaluate its potential as a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) therapeutic.
Their interest in Brilacidin as a treatment for COVID-19 and associated complications is based on the drug’s promising antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, as supported in preliminary testing conducted in a monkey epithelial cell line, and its established anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties—a potential 3-in-1 treatment combination. In advance of potential clinical testing, the Company is investigating procurement of appropriate drug supply (i.e., manufacture of intravenous drug product), and preparing for engagement with regulatory authorities. There can be no assurance that any Brilacidin for COVID-19 clinical trial will commence.
Concurrently, laboratory testing of Brilacidin against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, will continue. This is based on recommendations made by the lead researcher at one of the U.S. Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs) who performed preliminary testing of Brilacidin. Results were characterized as “extremely encouraging.” Immediate next steps include conducting studies in human lung cells, exploring dosing and evaluating the drug’s effect on the viral envelope.
About Brilacidin and COVID-19
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak poses a significant life-threatening and economic risk throughout the world. Over 1.23 million cases have been diagnosed in at least 183 countries, resulting in almost 67,000 reported deaths, including 313,000 cases and over 8,500 fatalities in the U.S. There are no effective approved therapies to treat COVID-19. Brilacidin is one of the few drugs targeting COVID-19 that has been tested in human trials for other clinical indications, providing an established safety and efficacy profile, thereby potentially enabling it to rapidly help address the emerging worldwide coronavirus crisis, developed both as a drug and as a vaccine.