Adam Davidson, CEO of Trident Royalties, discusses offtake milestones and catalysts to boost FY24. Watch the video here.
Ahead of that announcement, it had already been a good day thus far for companies investigation potential treatments for Covid-19.
1) Shares of Sweden's Enzymatica AB were 80% higher after the preliminary results of an in vitro study showed that mouth spray ColdZyme could deactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, by 98.3%.
2) Stock in the UK's Synairgen however was the main talking point in markets after the AIM-listed firm said that one of its treatments can sharply cut the risk of passing to severe forms of Covid-19.
3) In Russia meanwhile, researchers announced positive results for an experimental Covid-19 vaccine, although few details were forthcoming.
1 - note in vitro (eg 'test tube')
3- no comment!
Very different
Rather low key coverage - typical of the UK/BBC and negative on home-grown successes, it pees me off - and a fellow academic Prof being a bit negative - he is just fed up he missed the shares. Numpty. They are being cautious but don't lose the faith! Vaccine is unproven, SNG have demonstrated efficacy. Peer review will not be able to fault study except to say widen it, fast!
Lost of Oxford coverage and Johnny Depp, but no Synairgen in the headlines. WTF? Sigh. No more science from Sal today.... I am exhausted. What a day.
Dear All, the science was there and this is never a guarantee for therapeutic but we did our research. This is huge. I am holding. Statements such as '"We couldn't have expected much better results than these" from Marsden are rarely heard after trial results. Good luck all and if this marks a turning point for 2020 then this will help so many people. Not sure I am going to get much work done this morning - will be a late one instead I think.
This is a nice summary of the Science paper I posted last week. This summary was published on July 17th.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200717101015.htm
Yes, quite possible it will be disappointing and IMHO will depend on how many of the hospital trial might be classed as 'early intervention'. At home trial that follows however might be more encouraging.
To follow up, listening to that albeit few weeks old interview, you get the sense of the logistics and practical steps these guys have been able to take. If anyone here has tried translational research you will understand the hurdles. But they set up couriers, got the equipment and drug out there to home patients and have modern online surveillance and got all the ethics done in a few weeks. This may well end up being their USP! I don't know, I am just impressed with them whether it works or not. I think from what they describe that the early at home trial is the one to watch - he might even seem to be more convinced by this. My concern is results on patients where it has already 'got into their lungs' to quote Richard, may be less convincing. The former however is the big win for all concerned. I just wish this had got more publicity - it is very underplayed?
Thanks for this post Bebeto. Like all on this posting board, we know a lot more about interferon biology than we ever expected. A reassuringly well informed interview and with papers and science behind this I don't think any of us here discussing markets and the science could be accused of not having done our research. This is the perfect example of novel academic led research that could be a game changer.Right now the pure unadulterated joy of a small British led biotech company being the vanguard of this fight would be the biggest reward ever. My money is not on a wow panacea 'cure' at this stage (although that would be great but unlikely), but some very positive protective indicators that are going to be the stage for further investment and clinical development.
Like all here - the most eagerly awaited results I can ever remember and the fun of reading and starting to post here has been worth it.
https://youtu.be/npEFq4AiuIY
Okay so now we have a Science paper published today reporting on IFN depletion in COVID-19 patients. This has to make a splash. Good spot Borsaci06.
Here is the direct link. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/07/10/science.abc6027/tab-pdf
Dave - key words here are in vitro - i.e. in a test tube not live subjects.
As so many posters have said - we just have to wait and see. I am a scientist and invested. From everything I have read this all about timing and a short sharp hit from IFN-1b that reduces viral load may then let the entire spectrum of the immune response ramp up in an orderly way.
Nature published a 20 page supplement on COPD on May 14th (huge) in their outlook section. I have not scoured it for a mention of synairgen but they are not prominent - but this is perhaps not surprising, there are over 230 inhaler-drug combinations currently out there for conditions like COPD that physicians must consider. As the authors state, chosing the right one for a patient is not a trivial decision!
Almost certainly, I just reported it. https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ufos
Sadly I don't think the ruby slippers are going to work on this one. Flare-ups are inevitable. Sadly our government thinks rushing to open air corridors and our deserving UK population off to Benidorm comes above rational restraint and we will pay for that. Pubs are too soon as 'we' are not responsible enough in the UK. If as we hope, most cases can be shifted to the mild spectrum by early palliative intervention, then it will of course be a huge step.
A review this time, published a few weeks ago. Authors feel IFN1 then IFNIII maybe an effective strategy. I think the article is open access.
https://www-sciencedirect-com.bris.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S1931312820302900
'For both maximal efficacy and minimal toxicity, we envision an intervention strategy that draws upon the strengths of both type I and III IFN response (Figure 3). Type III IFNs may help to achieve a sustained antiviral state that limits viral spread in the upper airway as well as the lung. Type I IFNs, which are more potent but also more inflammatory, should be restricted to the early phase to facilitate viral clearance and prevent systemic inflammation.'
Hi All - another interesting paper - a nice Figure 1 (a hypothesis) which illustrates much of what is discussed on these boards - its all about timing??
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-0367-5
Another one - this time from 2007, a Nature article. All you need to know about IFNs if you are investing... Page 984, bottom left column - flagged as potential use in a future SARS pandemic as far back as then (reference 188) - it is a shame this was not pursued more aggressively after the first scares. Question is, SARS-COV2 may reduce IFN-1B production, but does it also reduce its effectiveness?
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd2422.pdf
The results from the current study will be eagerly awaited - a protective intervention at the first signs of infection could be key. But just as likely is a weak or barely significant response to treatment. It may turn out that it is synergistic with a direct anti-viral, so it could get choppy post SNG's first announcements.
Here is a link to a more recent study highlighting the importance of S.C. administration (subcutaneous, can be done at home) versus I.V. (intravenous, need to go into hospital where a nurse will do it). Again bioavailability of interferon 1b is critical.
This article is open access so it should be accessible.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7290144/pdf/13054_2020_Article_3048.pdf
PS and reference 12 in teh article is the result of the dexamethasone study, so it is up to date.
Hi,
This was published in early May and you need to read the original paper where the penultimate paragraph has teh disclaimer ...
'Our study had several limitations. This trial was open label, without a placebo group, and confounded by a
subgroup omitting interferon beta-1b within the combination group, depending on time from symptom onset.
A subsequent phase 3 trial with interferon beta-1b as a backbone treatment with a placebo control group should
be considered, because subgroup comparison suggested that interferon beta-1b appears to be a key component of
our combination treatment. Our absence of critically ill patients did not allow the generalisation of our findings
to severe cases.'
But nonetheless it was encouraging.
This may have been posted here before, I can't remember where I saw it. Open access and available online - release June 25th 2020. Note not externally peer reviewed but interesting science.
Interferon beta in COVID-19: a landmark looming in the uncharted
sea of COVID-19?
Carlo Bosi1, Andrea Gori2, Mario Raviglione2
1University of Milan, Medical School, Milan, Italy; 2University of Milan, Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Science (MACH), Milan, Italy
Correspondence to: Carlo Bosi. University of Milan, Medical School, Milan, Italy. Email: carlo.bosi@studenti.unimi.it.
Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the editorial office, Journal of Public Health and Emergency. The article did not undergo
external peer review.
Received: 19 March 2020. Accepted: 23 April 2020; Published: 25 June 2020.
doi: 10.21037/jphe.2020.03.08
View this article at: http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jphe.2020.03.08