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The first report of a Covid patient who was successfully treated with the Austrian candidate drug has now been published in a high-ranking journal.
1:15 pm, September 25, 2020
It’s long been known as that Money-Medication, actually, the drug candidate is named APN01: One hope in the fight against the global coronavirus pandemic is the ACE2 enzyme, which is currently being tested in an Apeirson Biologics clinical study in Covid-19 patients. A current case study has now been confirmed by new data the efficacy of the Vienna drug candidate and shows that the virus is specifically blocked by administration of APN01.
The publication, which was published in the prestigious journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, describes the first treatment of a patient with Covid-19 with severe course in Vienna, who was treated with the active ingredient APN01. The published data shows the expected signs of a Immune response, one rapid reduction in viral load and inflammatory mediators, as well as the development of high Neutralizing antibody levels. The treatment was with a significant clinical improvement of the patient hand to hand.
These data, which have now been published, only concern the treatment of one patient: a phase 2 study of the active ingredient APN01 is running independently in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain and Russia.
When asked by Kleine Zeitung, the manufacturing company Apeiron said: “The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study aims to Treat 200 patients with severe COVID-19 illness. If everything goes perfectly, this should The study will be completed before the end of the year., the end Results will be available in the first quarter of 2021. If the result is positive, an accelerated approval from the authorities can be expected. “
That means: with one Admission expected in the course of 2021 at the earliest.
Block the gateway for the virus
The base behind it Mechanism of action It was developed in 2005 at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, IMBA for short. ACE2 was then by Josef Penninger and colleagues like that essential entry point for a coronavirus described, which caused a global outbreak of the SARS lung disease in 2003. Research thereafter could be based on, because SARS-CoV-2 was shown to use the same mechanism to infect cells.
The typical Structures of “spikes”Proteins on the surface of virus particles are even more closely bound to ACE2 receptors on human cells. At the same time, ACE2 has a second important function as a regulator: reduces high blood pressure and protects Organs such as the heart, blood vessels, or lungs from severe disease. ACE2 docking sites are not only found in the lungs, but also in the heart, blood vessels, intestines and kidneys, which could explain the course of severe Covid-19 disease through organ failure and sepsis.
Therapie through infusion
“With this case we now have first data on soluble ACE2 therapy presented in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection “, he comments Alexander Zoufaly, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital, senior physician in the department of infectious diseases / clinic at Favoriten and first author of the publication “The results of this case study of a patient are encourage and support justificationTo further explore APN01 as a therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 in phase II clinical studies. “
The infusion of APN01 (soluble recombinant ACE2) showed the expected enzymatic activity and modulation of the renin-angiotensin system.
The infusion of APN01 was correlated with a Gradual decrease in the levels of some inflammatory mediators related to the disease. during the period under review.
Infusion of APN01 was also correlated with a rapid loss of detectable viremia and a slightly delayed reduction in virus titers in tracheal and nasopharyngeal smears.
The APN01 infusion was Fully compatible with an adaptive immune response and the development of high-titer SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies.
“New patient data supports the ability of APN01, to close the door to the virus. But unlike virtually all other drug candidates, APN01 is characterized by a Double effect shutdown: blocks the virus and can, through its enzymatic function protect the lungs, blood vessels, or heart from injury. The current results provide essential data that this important enzymatic function of APN01 is preserved in patients treated with Covid-19, “he says Josef Penninger, Co-inventor of APN01 and founder and board member of Apeiron Biologics.
