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Brilacidin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture

By Brian Buntz | March 2, 2021

Innovation Pharmaceuticals

The investigational drug brilacidin showed promise in a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Viruses.

Researchers conclude that the synthetic small molecule from Innovation Pharmaceuticals exhibited “potent antiviral activity.”

The scientists tested the drug in a human lung cell line and a monkey cell line.

The researchers tested brilacidin against COVID-19 variants from Washington and Italy. The manufacturer plans to test the drug’s antiviral effect with other variants.

Because the antimicrobial compound brilacidin works by disrupting viral integrity, it could be effective against so-called SARS-CoV-2 “variants of concern.” The manufacturer also believes the drug has potential in fighting secondary bacterial infections while also serving as an anti-inflammatory agent.

The drug was based on host defense peptides that are part of the immune system.

Effects of the drug were amplified when used with remdesivir, the Gilead Sciences compound that became the first FDA-approved COVID-19 treatment last year.

The company is also evaluating brilacidin in an international Phase 2 trial involving hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The drug has been tested in eight other human trials for different clinical indications.

Innovation Pharmaceuticals was formerly known as Cellceutix.


Filed Under: Drug Discovery and Development, Infectious Disease
Tagged With: Brilacidin, clinical trials, coronavirus, covid-19
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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