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Innovation Pharmaceuticals Receives Data from Public Health Research Institute Showing Brilacidin Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in a Human Cell Line
Innovation Pharmaceuticals Receives Data from Public Health Research Institute Showing Brilacidin Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in a Human Cell Line.
About this update from Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Brilacidin showed a dose-dependent inhibitory response in a human kidney cell line expressing hACE2Data supports Brilacidin’s potential to prevent SARS-CoV-2 binding to the hACE2 receptor, the method by which the novel coronavirus gains entry in human cells WAKEFIELD, Mass., May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, reports today receiving data from a leading Public Health Research Institute (PHRI) showing Brilacidin inhibits SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, in a human cell line. Brilacidin, in comparison to vehicle control, exhibited an inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 in a dose-dependent manner—an average 29 percent inhibition at 0.1ug/ml (the lowest concentration) to an 85 percent inhibition at 100ug/ml (the highest concentration). The Brilacidin anti-SARS-CoV-2 research being conducted at the PHRI is separate from research being performed at a U.S. Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL), both with BSL-3 testing capabilities. “This human cell line data is highly significant, with exciting implications,” commented Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “We now have preliminary in vitro data from two separate independent laboratories that, cumulatively, support Brilacidin’s ability to act directly on the novel coronavirus, as a virucidal agent, and prevent viral binding to host cells. Across the coming weeks, we anticipate sharing additional anti-SARS-CoV-2 data from both research institutions as we work towards initiating a clinical study of Brilacidin for the treatment of COVID-19.” For the experiment, the SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudotyped luciferase virus was incubated with Brilacidin at different concentrations—from a low of 0.1ug/ml to a high of 100ug/ml—for 1 hour before being added to HEK/293T cells (a human kidney cell line) expressing hACE2 for 2 hours. Then, the infected cells were cultured in media for 3 days before cells were lysed, with the inhibitory effect measured as a function of luciferase activity. Multiple measurements were taken to determine an average efficacy. The primary investigator characterized the results as promising, especially given inhibitory effects in this particular human cell line ar...