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Cocrystal Pharma Expands Exclusive License Agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation to New Coronavirus Antiviral Compounds with Novel Mechanism of Action
- Expanded license agreement with KSURF further broadens and advances Cocrystal’s COVID-19 program - - Small molecule therapeutic inhibitors against
About this update from Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"- Expanded license agreement with KSURF further broadens and advances Cocrystal’s COVID-19 program -\n - Small molecule therapeutic inhibitors against coronaviruses included in agreement have demonstrated strong proof-of-concept and excellent efficacy data in MERS-CoV animal models - BOTHELL, WA, April 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCP), (“Cocrystal” or the “Company”), a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics, announced today that it has expanded its previously announced license agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation (“KSURF”) to include rights to additional preclinical leads and further develop certain proprietary broad-spectrum antiviral compounds for the treatment of coronavirus infections (“COVID-19”). “We are pleased to be expanding our agreement with KSURF as we move forward with our ongoing COVID-19 development program. The additional compounds from this new license agreement represent a class of compounds called protease inhibitors to potentially treat COVID-19. The compounds are in a preclinical stage and have a novel mechanism of action that we believe could play an important role in treating this devastating disease,” commented Dr. Gary Wilcox, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cocrystal. Cocrystal has been granted an exclusive, royalty-bearing right and license to certain small molecule therapeutic inhibitors against coronaviruses, picornaviruses and caliciviruses covered by patent rights controlled by KSURF. Cocrystal intends to pursue research and development of these antiviral compounds for coronavirus, including preclinical and clinical development. This license significantly expands and further advances the Company's COVID-19 program by providing more targeted, potent compounds for further development. The additional compounds licensed from KSURF have demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo activity in animal models against the viral pathogens MERS and SARS, which are coronaviruses that are structurally similar to SARS-CoV-2 (see About Coronavirus Disease below). “These new SARS-CoV-2 antiviral compounds have shown broad spectrum activity against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV and in vivo efficacy data in a MERS-CoV animal model that was recently used for in vivo study of remdesivir. We are encourag...