Immune Regulation teams with DynPort on COVID-19 drug

US and UK-based clinical stage biotech Immune Regulation has signed a deal with DynPort Vaccine Company to jointly evaluate the potential of the former's ILR201104 to treat COVID-19 related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in US clinical trials.

COVID-19 infection is linked with the recruitment of key blood cells to the lung, including neutrophils, which are required to fight the virus. However, in high-risk patients, the action of inflammatory molecules released by neutrophils may lead to overwhelming inflammation, otherwise known as ARDS, which can cause dangerously low levels of blood oxygen and possibly death.

According to Immune Regulation, IRL201104 has been shown to “quickly and markedly reduce the excessive infiltration of neutrophils in the lungs in a preclinical model of acute lung inflammation”.

A single dose of the drug reduced neutrophil infiltration quickly and maintained this effect for at least 24 hours, it noted.

The hope is that a short course of treatment with IRL201104 will provide a significant reduction in the numbers of infiltrating neutrophils into the lung, “potentially reducing the overwhelming inflammatory response and restoring the levels of blood oxygen”.

“Immune Regulation has a unique solution to the problem of ARDS, which is potentially fatal in patients with advanced COVID-19. DVC is excited to partner with Immune Regulation to bring ILR201104 to patients who are in need of more effective therapies,” said Gary Nabors, president of DVC, commenting on the deal.