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RedHill Biopharma announces positive data for oral COVID-19 drug

By Brian Buntz | June 23, 2021

RedHillRedHill Biopharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: RDHL) announced positive results from a Phase 2 U.S. study involving its opaganib in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. 

The study indicated that opaganib reduced the need for supplemental oxygen therapy and an earlier hospital discharge. RedHill also concluded that the drug was well-tolerated based on the placebo-controlled Phase 2 study, which involved 40 patients in the U.S. 

The experimental drug inhibits sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2), an enzyme that plays a role in inflammation and replication of some viruses. Opaganib thus has dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory modes of action. 

A total of 50% of opaganib recipients could breathe without ventilator support within 14 days of treatment compared to 22% of people in the placebo group.  

Some 86.4% of patients receiving opaganib were able to leave the hospital within 14 days compared with 55.6% of placebo recipients. 

The study anticipates that the larger 475-patient Phase 2/3 study will conclude in the coming weeks. 

RedHill anticipates that the investigational drug will be effective against COVID-19 variants. 

Former studies involving the drug have tested its potential in treating multiple myeloma, cholangiocarcinoma, prostate cancer and other oncology indications.


Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Infectious Disease, Oncology
Tagged With: coronavirus, covid-19, COVID-19 variants, oncology, opaganib, pneumonia, RedHill Biopharma
 

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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