Noxopharm (NOX:ASX) has announced the active ingredient of its investigational therapy Veyonda - idronoxil - could block the hyper-inflammation stemming from the infection that is believed responsible for deaths in patients with COVID-19 infection.
According to CEO Graham Kelly, “With the emerging possibility that an abnormally high STING response is a factor in COVID-19 death, having an inhibitor of STING signalling ready to be tested in COVID-19 patients is both a considerable responsibility and opportunity. Proving the value of Veyonda to COVID-19 patients is both a humanitarian and regulatory approval opportunity that we cannot overlook.”
“The need to prevent the phenomena of cytokine storm and septic shock in COVID-19 patients looks likely to remain for some considerable time, and may even remain a long-term need should development of an effective vaccine prove challenging,” he said.
Veyonda is currently in development for end-stage prostate cancer.
"Any clinical studies in non-oncology patients will require non-dilutive funding, something that the Company believes in the current environment should be achievable once it receives the go-ahead to conduct a clinical study," said the company in a statement.
Noxopharma said it is moving to obtain guidance from the FDA on the appropriate regulatory approval pathway to pursue in the US in relation to COVID-19 patients. The sompany said it is also pursuing the option of testing Veyonda in patients suffering septic shock from a range of infective agents other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus.