Sorrento Therapeutics said that its intranasal Covi-Drops (STI-2099) neutralizing antibody reduced the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a hamster model, and the company is planning to submit an IND for a clinical trial of Covi-Drops this month. Hamsters receiving the intranasal antibody lost less weight than hamsters in the control group at day 5 post infection, and had reduced duration of symptoms compared to an intravenous formulation of the antibody.
According to Sorrento, the hamsters received a 500 µg single dose of the antibody, which would scale to a 45 mg dose of the nasal drops for humans. The company plans to advance to Phase 1 development of the antibody for both intravenous and nasal administration, with studies in both healthy volunteers and in patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19.
Sorrento Chairman and CEO Henry Ji commented, “The simplicity of Covi-Drops, an intranasal administration of an extremely potent neutralizing antibody against COVID-19 would permit timely and massive access to much needed antiviral treatments. We at Sorrento are optimistic that if these findings in the COVID-19 hamster model of infection are replicated in patients with COVID-19 in planned clinical trials, we could be in a position to potentially open up society by preventing virus proliferation and spread, and potentially reduce or prevent hospitalizations or even hospital visits.”
Read the Sorrento Therapeutics press release.
