Atossa Therapeutics announced that it has signed an agreement with Summit Biosciences for development and manufacturing of an intranasal formulation of Atossa’s AT-301 as a candidate for the treatment of mild COVID-19, and it plans to submit an IND for clinical trials expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. The company said it is also investigating the possible use of AT-301 for the prevention of COVID-19.
The company did not specify the active ingredient(s) contained in AT-301 or a previously announced candidate for severe COVID-19, AT-H201. Prior to the pandemic, Atossa’s pipeline was focused on the treatment of breast cancer, with candidates including formulations of endoxifen and fulvestrant.
Atossa President and CEO Steven Quay said, “In April we launched our AT-H201 COVID-19 HOPE program for the most severely ill COVID-19 patients. By contrast, our new AT-301 nasal spray program is being developed for the relatively healthier COVID-19 patients who have not been hospitalized. We are developing AT-301 with a nasal spray delivery mechanism because many COVID-19 patients are infected via the nasal passage. The mechanism of action is intended to inhibit essential human host proteases, which are found in abundance in the nasal mucosa, from activating the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the known first and obligatory step that must be taken before the virus can enter the body.”
Quay added, “This may eventually be useful as a prophylactic, to be used before leaving the home. In that setting it would be intended to create a barrier inside the nose to prevent virus entry – sort of a short-term vaccine-like treatment that could be helpful before a true vaccine is available. Our goal with the two COVID-19 programs is to ultimately commercialize therapies for patients on both ends of the spectrum – from the healthier patients who will be treated at home and the sicker patients who require mechanical ventilation in the hospital.”
Read the Atossa Therapeutics press release.
