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Rigel Announces Investigator-Sponsored Trial of Fostamatinib in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia
High content screen identifies fostamatinib as a candidate for repurposing for Acute Lung Injury SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
About this update from Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"High content screen identifies fostamatinib as a candidate for repurposing for Acute Lung Injury\n\n\nSOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) today announced the initiation of an investigator-sponsored trial (IST) being conducted by Imperial College London to evaluate the efficacy of fostamatinib, its oral spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor, for the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. Fostamatinib, marketed in the U.S. as TAVALISSE® (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets, is approved in the U.S. and Europe as a treatment for adult chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).\nSYK is a key mediator of immunoreceptor signaling in a host of inflammatory cells. Studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and other acute viral respiratory infections suggest that the pathogenesis relies on a series of SYK-dependent events involving activation of C-type lectin receptors (CLR) and immunoglobulin Fcg receptors (FcgR) in multiple cell types. Such SYK-mediated processes result in excessive cytokine and chemokine release, neutrophil activation associated with extensive NETosis (a highly inflammatory and thrombogenic type of cell death), and endothelial cell stimulation leading to vascular endothelium leakage and edema in the lungs. Together, these events can contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), micro-thrombosis and associated systemic complications. 1,2 \nThe hallmark of severe COVID-19 is hypoxemia and a radiological pattern of acute lung injury (ALI) that shares features with ARDS. By inhibiting SYK, fostamatinib may specifically inhibit the infiltration and activation of monocytes and neutrophils in the lungs that are prominent in COVID-19.1,2\n\"The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to extract a significant human and economic toll and there remains a serious and immediate need for safe and effective therapies,\" said Raul Rodriguez, Rigel's president and CEO. \"Severe COVID-19 pneumonia can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, which can often be fatal. Given encouraging data from pre-clinical models of fostamatinib, we believe there is potential for SYK inhibition to help treat the severity of the disease for these patients and to prevent ARDS. \n\"We are pleased to be able to support the exciting work being done by our colleague...