Anixa Biosciences Begins Animal Testing of Covid-19 Therapeutic Candidates

Anixa Biosciences announced animal testing has commenced with two proprietary compounds that have shown potency in in vitro studies.

"After screening billions of compounds in silico, synthesizing dozens and testing them in biological assays, we have identified two of the most promising for further testing in animal models. These two compounds will be tested in animals and will be compared to Remdesivir, which is the only anti-viral drug approved for Covid-19. We expect this proof-of-concept study to be completed in a few weeks," Dr. Amit Kumar, President and CEO of Anixa Biosciences said.

One of the compounds being tested targets an enzyme called an endoribonuclease, and the other compound targets the enzyme known as the main protease, Mpro. Upon demonstration of potency in animals with one of these compounds, Anixa and collaboration partner OntoChem GmbH will have medicinal chemistry performed to optimize the potency before commencing comprehensive animal studies in anticipation of human clinical trials.

"These compounds were designed to specifically target the enzymes of SARS-CoV-2, but we feel that these compounds may also be active against other corona viruses, as well as many of the new variants that are emerging and will continue to emerge," said Dr. Lutz Weber, CEO of OntoChem.