RedHill Biopharma Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced preliminary results of a new preclinical study showing strong inhibition by opaganib (ABC294640)of Delta variant replication while maintaining cell viability at relevant concentrations.
Working with the University of Louisville Center for Predictive Medicine, opaganib was studied in a 3D tissue model of human bronchial epithelial cells (EpiAirway™) to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of opaganib in inhibiting the Delta (Indian) variant. This work adds to the previously reported work that showed opaganib also inhibits Alpha (Washington), Beta (South African) and Gamma (Brazilian) SARS-CoV-2 variants.
"There is growing evidence in support of the possible key role played by sphingosine kinase-2 in the replication of RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of mutations at the spike protein. This makes inhibition of this intra-cellular enzyme a promising therapeutic target for treating COVID-19 disease," said Reza Fathi, PhD., RedHill's Senior VP, R&D. "We have now accumulated extensive evidence from our preclinical work of opaganib's potent ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, such as Delta, and expect that to extend to new emerging variants. The strong antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities of oral opaganib potentially address both the viral cause and inflammatory effects of COVID-19."
Opaganib, a leading novel small molecule investigational oral pill in development for the treatment of COVID-19, is a unique host targeted, dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory drug that acts on the cause and effect of COVID-19. It is believed to exert its antiviral effect by selectively inhibiting sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2), a key enzyme produced in human cells that may be recruited by the virus to support its replication.
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