(Alliance News) - Biotechnology firm Tiziana Life Sciences PLC on Thursday said it has developed an investigational new Covid-19 treatment and has filed a patent application for it.
Shares in Tiziana more than doubled on Thursday morning to 81.00 pence.
The treatment involves directly delivering its anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, TZLS-501, into the lungs via a handheld inhaler nebulizer. TZLS-501 was acquired from Swiss biotechnology company Novimmune in 2017.
Covid-19 patients can develop an uncontrolled immune response known as a cytokine storm. This causes the body to produce excessive amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as other proteins like interleukin-6 which damage lung tissue and cause respiratory failure.
Interleukin-6, Tiziana explained "seems to be one of the major culprits underlying coronavirus-mediated respiratory failure" with early clinical studies in China suggesting that anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies could be used in clinical practise as a Covid-19 treatment.
China's National Health Commission has already recommended using Roche Holding AG's drug Acterma and Sanofi SA's Kevzera for Covid-19 treatment.
Tiziana explained that it believes TZLS-501 "combined with this newly introduced inhalation technology" could "rapidly inhibit inflammation in lungs".
Combined with intravenous administration of an anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, the hope is that this treatment may may deplete circulating interleukin-6 levels "and potentially halt progression of Covid-19-mediated lung damage and death".
Kunwar Shailubhai, chief executive & chief scientific officer at Tiziana, said: "The filing of this comprehensive provisional patent application covering treatment with our [anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody], as well as prophylactic intervention with a vaccine candidate, designed from spike protein of Covid-19, is an important step in finding a solution to the current pandemic. We look forward to providing updates on the development of this product candidate and its introduction into clinical trials in a real-world setting."
By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com
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