CrystalGenomics, "Confirmed Effect of Reducing Lung Inflammation Caused by COVID-19 Infection"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] CrystalGenomics announced on the 31st that Ivaltinostat, being developed as a treatment for COVID-19, confirmed anti-inflammatory effects through combination therapy with Camostat.

This study was conducted using a hamster animal model (in vivo), where hamsters with lung tissue infected by the COVID-19 virus were orally administered a combination of Ivaltinostat and Camostat, and efficacy was confirmed by comparing with the infected control group.

On the 4th day of administration, the group treated with Ivaltinostat and Camostat showed a reduction in inflammatory lesions compared to the infected control group.

According to the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo, hamster lung lesions are similar to the lesions reported in COVID-19 patients. Hamsters possess the COVID-19 infection receptor protein (ACE2), with only 4 out of 28 amino acid sequences differing from humans, and infection symptoms are observed mainly in organs where this receptor is highly expressed, such as the lungs and intestines, making them an optimized model for immunomodulators.

Ivaltinostat, CrystalGenomics' epigenetic target inhibitor, is an anti-inflammatory agent with a mechanism that induces immune balance by normalizing abnormal immune cell proliferation and activation. It has been previously confirmed in several preclinical and clinical trials to reduce inflammatory cytokines and suppress neutrophil immune cell proliferation.

When COVID-19 infection causes an increase in various immune cells in the blood, including neutrophils, a large amount of inflammatory cytokines is produced, leading to a cytokine storm. The massive occurrence of cytokines is also a cause of pneumonia and can itself lead to patient death.

A CrystalGenomics official stated, "Based on meaningful data from the preclinical stage, we plan to first proceed with a global Phase 2 clinical trial of Ivaltinostat monotherapy in the United States and Brazil."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.