DalCor Announces Launch of Dalcetrapib Clinical Trial for COVID-19

DalCor announced the initiation of dal-COVID, a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for dalcetrapib as a potential oral anti-viral treatment for COVID-19.

The main protease (3CLMpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a key enzyme that plays a pivotal role in mediating viral replication and transcription. Dalcetrapib is a potential anti-viral treatment as it binds to the catalytic site of 3CLMpro of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, thereby inhibiting its activity and viral replication.

dal-COVID is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with confirmed mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19. The study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of three different doses of dalcetrapib compared to placebo in approximately 200 adult patients over a 10-day treatment period.

“I am delighted that dalcetrapib is being investigated as an oral antiviral treatment for mild to moderate COVID-19,” said Dr. Guy Boivin, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada and Chairman of the Executive Committee for dal-COVID. “Effective oral anti-viral treatments for patients with COVID-19 would significantly improve patient symptoms, reduce complications and the burden on healthcare systems while contributing alongside vaccines to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”

dal-COVID will be coordinated by the Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC). Results are anticipated in Q1 2021.

Dalcetrapib is also currently being evaluated in the dal-GenE Phase 3 cardiovascular precision medicine clinical outcomes trial. To date, it has been administered, with a good safety and tolerability profile, for more than two years to over 10,000 patients with cardiovascular diseases and risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.