More good news as Covid-19 treatment by Omeros drug reports 100 percent recovery
London, August 11, 2020 (AltAfrica)-Omeros Corp on Monday reported positive results from a six-patient study of its investigational treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by COVID-19.
The company said all the six patients, who needed mechanical ventilation before treatment, recovered and were discharged from hospital.
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A manuscript detailing the results of the study has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Immunobiology, Omeros said.
Omeros Corp said its experimental treatment helped six patients, with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by COVID-19, recover and get discharged from the hospital, sending the drug developer’s shares up 60%. https://t.co/VJxjZZSAeb
— GMA News (@gmanews) August 10, 2020
Shares of the company soared 44% to $20.25 in premarket trading.
The news comes as efforts to find a cure for the coronavirus continue around the world.
he company said it was in talks with the US government for potential funding to speed up large-scale manufacturing for broader availability of the treatment, narsoplimab.
All six patients had underlying conditions and needed mechanical ventilation before treatment, Omeros said.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, causes fluid to collect in the lungs, depriving organs of oxygen. COVID-19 patients with ARDS often require intensive care.
The small study was done in Italy’s Bergamo, the initial epicenter of COVID-19 in Europe, under a compassionate use program following requests from doctors at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital.
Narsoplimab is a human monoclonal antibody that targets damage to endothelial cells, which serves as a general marker of both COVID-19 and recovery.
The therapy has already been studied in a pivotal trial for a stem cell transplant-related complication and in late-stage studies for two kidney conditions. Narsoplimab was also granted US FDA’s breakthrough tag for these indications, but the agency has not yet approved the drug for any use.
The US government, under its “Operation Warp Speed” initiative aimed at accelerating access to vaccines and treatments to fight COVID-19, has so far agreed to invest more than $7 billion in vaccines and has funded more than 30 projects, including those for diagnostics and treatments.
Omeros did not provide further details of its talks with the US government. It did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional comments.
