Crystal's Inhibitory Effect on Delta Variant of 'Ivaltinostat'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] CrystalGenomics announced on the 1st that it confirmed a high antiviral effect in preclinical trials targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant for 'Ivaltinostat,' an oral COVID-19 treatment under development.

The research team conducted a study on genetically engineered mice infected with the Delta variant virus and confirmed a 63-fold inhibition (reduction) in viral load after 7 days in the group orally administered Ivaltinostat 50mg/kg once daily (viral load 12.59) compared to the group infected only with the Delta variant virus (viral load 794.33).

In the group orally administered Ivaltinostat 25mg/kg once daily, the viral load (501.19) also decreased on day 7.

The Delta variant simultaneously exhibits the E484Q and L452R mutations. Because of this, it is known to have 1.6 times higher transmissibility than the Alpha variant, which is already known for its high transmissibility. Secondary infection rates have also been reported to be high.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designates a variant as a 'variant of concern' if it shows increased transmissibility or changes in severity compared to the original COVID-19 virus, or if there is confirmed reduced efficacy of vaccines and treatments. The Delta variant was designated as a variant of concern on May 10.

Ivaltinostat is a new drug candidate independently developed by CrystalGenomics. It is an anti-inflammatory drug that treats acute pneumonia caused by cytokine storms resulting from coronavirus infection and fibrosis caused by COVID-19 sequelae.

A CrystalGenomics official stated, "Based on the preclinical trial results confirming the inhibitory effect on the Delta variant virus, we plan to actively promote clinical development of the oral COVID-19 treatment."

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