MedinCell Has Launched a COVID-19 Research Initiative Based on Its Experience to Formulate Long-Acting Injectable Ivermectin
First in-vitro validation of impact of Ivermectin on Covid-19 by Australian researchers
April 06, 2020 01:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time
MONTPELLIER, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
MedinCell (Paris:MEDCL)
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have published last Friday a study showing that antiparasitic drug Ivermectin can kill coronavirus in a laboratory setting in under 48 hours. A single treatment is able to effect ~5000-fold reduction in virus at 48h in cell culture1.
Ivermectin has a long track record of use as a safe and effective drug to treat several parasitic diseases.
MedinCell has published data showing that long-acting formulations of Ivermectin can be designed with varying doses and durations with its BEPO® technology2 and is already leading a program aiming at developing a 3-Month injectable product to fight malaria3.
MedinCell has launched a few weeks ago a research initiative on a long-acting injectable formulation of Ivermectin and believes it could have a role to play in Covid-19 management.
Future clinical studies will have to confirm the action of Ivermectin on Covid-19 virus, and the potential effectiveness of a long-acting injectable on its prevention and therefore breaking the chain of transmission.
In case of positive results, a BEPO® technology based long-acting injectable Ivermectin offers a rapidly deployable and affordable solution for a global pandemic.
1 The FDA-approved Drug Ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro – Leon Caly, Julian D. Druce, Mike G. Catton, David A. Jans, Kylie M. Wagstaff - Antiviral Research, 3 April 2020
2 Source: BEPO®: Bioresorbable diblock mPEG-PDLLA and triblock PDLLA-PEG-PDLLA based in situ forming depots with flexible drug delivery kinetics modulation – Christophe Roberge, Jean-Manuel Cros, Juliette Serindoux, Marie-Emérentienne Cagnon, Rémi Samuel, Tjasa Vrlinic, Pierre Berto, Anthony Rech, Joël Richard, Adolfo Lopez-Noriega - Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 319, 10 March 2020, Pages 416-427
3 Company press release: MedinCell receives $ 6.4 million grant from Unitaid to fight Malaria - 03.25.2020
About MedinCell
MedinCell is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company that develops a portfolio of long-acting injectable products in various therapeutic areas by combining its proprietary BEPO® technology with active ingredients already known and marketed. Through the controlled and extended release of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, MedinCell makes medical treatments more efficient, particularly thanks to improved compliance, i.e. compliance with medical prescriptions, and to a significant reduction in the quantity of medication required as part of a one-off or chronic treatment. The BEPO® technology makes it possible to control and guarantee the regular delivery of a drug at the optimal therapeutic dose for several days, weeks or months starting from the subcutaneous or local injection of a simple deposit of a few millimeters, fully bioresorbable. Based in Montpellier, MedinCell currently employs more than 130 people representing over 25 different nationalities.