LA JOLLA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the Standard Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced the results of the nonclinical studies conducted under its contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to repurpose MN-166 (ibudilast) as a potential medical countermeasure (MCM) against chlorine gas-induced lung damage such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute lung injury (ALI). Two different nonclinical models were used to investigate the potential clinical utility of MN-166 (ibudilast) for the treatment of chlorine-induced lung damage.
The primary objective of the first nonclinical efficacy study was to determine the safety and pharmacological activity of MN-166 (ibudilast) following ALI induced by chlorine (Cl2) gas inhalation. In this study, single-dose and multi-dose treatments were evaluated. The primary endpoint was the pulmonary function measure PaO2/FiO2, which is the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen.
After a Cl2 gas challenge to induce moderate ALI (mean PaO2/FiO2