Business
Innovation Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication of Peer-Review Article in the Journal of Medical Virology on Anti-Coronavirus Properties of Brilacidin
Innovation Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication of Peer-Review Article in the Journal of Medical Virology on Anti-Coronavirus Properties of Brilacidin.
About this update from Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"In other news, Scientific Advisor, William F. DeGrado, PhD, gives keynote lecture at 2021 Faraday Discussion and co-awarded John Scott MedalWAKEFIELD, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) ("the Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced publication of a peer-review scientific article in the Journal of Medical Virology on the anti-coronavirus properties of Brilacidin. Brilacidin was shown to exert a dual-acting antiviral mechanism of action, able to target coronaviruses directly and bind to host cell surfaces to prevent viral entry.As previously released, Brilacidin showed promising treatment effects in a Phase 2 clinical trial in moderate-to-severe hospitalized cases of COVID-19 (see NCT04784897). The Company plans to seek funding and additional clinical development support from government-sponsored programs to help advance the Brilacidin antiviral program.Coronavirus Research HighlightsIn the peer-review paper, which was co-authored by Dr. DeGrado and is accessible at the link below, University of Arizona and University of California-San Francisco scientists characterized the antiviral activity of Brilacidin against multiple endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), including HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, and SARS-CoV-2, in human cell lines.Hu, Y., Hyunil, J., DeGrado, W.F., & Wang, J. (2022). Brilacidin, a COVID-19 Drug Candidate, Demonstrates Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Activity Against Human Coronaviruses OC43, 229E and NL63 Through Targeting Both the Virus and the Host Cell. J Med Virol. doi:10.1002/jmv.27616.Mechanistic studies revealed Brilacidin exerts antiviral activity by interfering with viral attachment to host cells by binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). HSPGs are important co-receptors through which different viruses gain entry into host cells, thus providing an attractive target for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals. Beyond exhibiting this blocking property, Brilacidin was also shown to target viral proteins directly, acting through a virucidal property. This dual antiviral mechanism of action suggests Brilacidin may be well-suited for prophylactic development and less likely to be subject to drug resistance. Combination studies further revealed Brilacidin exhibited a strong synergistic antiviral effect with remdesi...