Scienza e Tecnologia
RedHill Biopharma Announces Presentation of Positive Oral Opaganib Phase 2 Data in COVID-19
TEL AVIV, Israel and RALEIGH, NC , June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: RDHL) ("RedHill" or the "Company"), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced presentation of the positive Phase 2 safety and efficacy data for oral opaganib (Yeliva®, ABC294640)[1] in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at the World Microbe Forum (WMF) 2021 (poster #: 5574).
Results and post hoc analyses of data from the 40-patient U.S. Phase 2 study were presented in a poster entitled, " "[2]. Patients in the study were randomized to receive either opaganib or placebo in addition to standard of care (SoC), predominantly including dexamethasone and/or remdesivir. Findings include:
"The need for an effective oral therapy to treat COVID-19 is clear. Such a therapy would greatly improve our ability to manage this pandemic," "These data, from this proof-of-concept clinical study of opaganib in patients with severe COVID-19, suggest a potential role of SK2 inhibition in combating the effects of this virus. With much more data on opaganib expected in the coming weeks, we could make some real progress toward having access to a much-needed oral therapy for patients who currently have a paucity of options available to them."
"Presentation of these positive data from our exploratory Phase 2 study support our growing confidence that opaganib could be the first novel, oral therapy to demonstrate efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 in a large late-stage study. With the recent completion of enrollment of our 475-patient global Phase 2/3 study, we will have a clearer picture of that in the very near future," . "Opaganib acts on both the cause and effect of COVID-19 via a unique dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory mode of action. Being host-targeted, opaganib is also expected to maintain effect against the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, which continue to threaten the progress being made against the pandemic and underscore the urgent need for effective COVID-19 therapeutics."
The global 475-patient Phase 2/3 study of opaganib in severe COVID-19 has been approved in 10 countries and completed enrollment, through 57 participating sites, on June 6 . The primary endpoint of the study is the proportion of patients breathing room air without oxygen support by Day 14. Additional important outcome measures, such as time to discharge from hospital, improvement according to the World Health Organization Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement and incidence of intubation and mortality, will also be captured in the follow-up period of up to 6 weeks. The study received four independent DSMB recommendations to continue following unblinded safety reviews and a futility review. Additionally, an evaluation of the blinded blended intubation and mortality rates to date was encouraging as compared to reported rates of mortality from large platform studies such as RECOVERY, and other studies in similar patient populations[3].
Opaganib, a new chemical entity, is a proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor, with dual anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity, that is host-targeted and is therefore expected to be effective against emerging viral variants. Opaganib has also shown anticancer activity and has the potential to target multiple oncology, viral, inflammatory, and gastrointestinal indications.
Opaganib is being evaluated as a treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia in a global Phase 2/3 study, which recently completed enrollment, and has demonstrated positive safety and efficacy signals in preliminary top-line data from the 40-patient U.S. Phase 2 study.
Opaganib has also received Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and is being evaluated in a Phase 2a study in advanced cholangiocarcinoma and in a Phase 2 study in prostate cancer.
Opaganib demonstrated potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, completely inhibiting viral replication in an model of human lung bronchial tissue. Additionally, preclinical studies have demonstrated opaganib's potential to ameliorate inflammatory lung disorders, such as pneumonia, and has shown decreased fatality rates from influenza virus infection and ameliorated -induced lung injury by reducing the levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids .
The ongoing studies with opaganib are registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov, a web-based service by the U.S. National Institute of Health, which provides public access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies.
RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: RDHL) is a specialty biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on gastrointestinal and infectious diseases. RedHill promotes the gastrointestinal drugs, for opioid-induced constipation in adults , for the treatment of infection in adults , and for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea in adults . RedHill's key clinical late-stage development programs include: (i) , with an ongoing Phase 3 study for pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease; (ii) , a first in class SK2 selective inhibitor targeting multiple indications with positive Phase 2 COVID-19 data and an ongoing Phase 2/3 program for COVID-19 and Phase 2 studies for prostate cancer and cholangiocarcinoma ongoing; (iii) , a serine protease inhibitor in a U.S. Phase 2/3 study as treatment for symptomatic COVID-19, and targeting multiple other cancer and inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases; (iv) , with positive results from a first Phase 3 study for Crohn's disease; (v) , with positive results from a Phase 3 study for acute gastroenteritis and gastritis and positive results from a Phase 2 study for IBS-D; and (vi) - , an encapsulated bowel preparation. More information about the Company is available at www.redhillbio.com / https://twitter.com/RedHillBio.
Chief Corporate & Business Development Officer
RedHill Biopharma
+972-54-6543-112
adi@redhillbio.com
+1 212 529 2236
bryan.gibbs@finnpartners.com
Amber Fennell, Consilium
+44 (0) 7739 658 783
fennell@consilium-comms.com
[1] Opaganib is an investigational new drug, not available for commercial distribution.
[2] Opaganib, an Oral Sphingosine Kinase-2 (SK2) Inhibitor in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Phase 2A Study, in Adult Subjects Hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 Positive Pneumonia (NCT: 04414618). K. L. Winthrop, A. W. Skolnick, A. M. Rafiq, S. H. Beegle, J. Suszanski, G. Koehne, O.Barnett-Griness, A. Bibliowicz, R. Fathi, P. Anderson, G. Raday, G. Eagle, V. Katz Ben-Yair , H. S. Minkowitz, M. L. Levitt, M. S. Gordon
[3] Based on preliminary blinded blended data from 463 patients. The Company did not conduct a head-to-head comparison study in the same patient population. The theoretical comparison between the global Phase 2/3 study with opaganib and reported rates of mortality from large platform studies such as RECOVERY, and other studies in similar patient populations, serves as a general benchmark and should not be construed as a direct and/or applicable comparison as if the Company conducted a head-to-head comparison study.
[4] Xia C. et al. Transient inhibition of sphingosine kinases confers protection to influenza A virus infected mice. Antiviral Res. 2018 Oct; 158:171-177. Ebenezer DL et al. Pseudomonas aeruginosa stimulates nuclear sphingosine-1-phosphate generation and epigenetic regulation of lung inflammatory injury. Thorax. 2019 Jun;74(6):579-591.
[5] Full prescribing information for Movantik (naloxegol) is available at: www.Movantik.com.
[6] Full prescribing information for Talicia (omeprazole magnesium, amoxicillin and rifabutin) is available at: www.Talicia.com.
[7] Full prescribing information for Aemcolo (rifamycin) is available at: www.Aemcolo.com.
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