BeyondSpring announced the submission of a provisional U.S. patent application for its pipeline asset BPI-002, for methods of treating viral infections, including COVID-19, when administered alone or in combination with a vaccine. BPI-002 is a novel orally administered small molecule agent that is a potent T-cell co-stimulator.
The agent is targeting two main effects:
- BPI-002 can potentially activate the adaptive immune system (including CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells), the body’s strongest line of defense, to directly attack and kill virally infected cells, including RNA virus, such as those causing COVID-19.
- If combined with a vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccine, BPI-002 can potentially function as an adjuvant to provide improved long-term humoral (B-cell dependent) protection against future viral infection.
"With the COVID-19 outbreak spreading across the globe, BeyondSpring, along with all of our peer biopharmaceutical companies around the world are racing to respond as quickly as possible to stop the virus from spreading and save lives," said Dr. Lan Huang, co-founder and CEO. "BPI-002 has the potential to directly attack and kill RNA virus without precipitating limiting toxicities, and to potentially provide long-term protection against COVID-19 when combined with a vaccine. We are continuing to aggressively advance this agent to provide a therapeutic option offering both near-term treatment and long-term prevention against this deadly disease."
Dr. Huang and Dr. Ramon Mohanlal, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, R&D are co-inventors of the new patent application.
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