RedHill Biopharma Ltd., a speciality biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has acted on a request to provide opaganib treatment on an outpatient basis under compassionate use exemption for several Swiss patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia.

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Acting rapidly to ensure emergency transport and supply of the drug, treatment was initiated with orally-administered opaganib within the past week. Opaganib is a novel, orally-administered sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) inhibitor with demonstrated dual anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity, targeting a human cell component involved in viral replication and therefore expected to be effective against emerging viral variants with mutations in the spike protein.

Gilead Raday, RedHill's Chief Operating Officer, said: "We continue to do all we can to support patients, and their treating physician, who are in need of treatment options for COVID-19. Having recently reported positive Phase 2 data with opaganib in the U.S., our ongoing global 464-patient Phase 2/3 study with opaganib for severe COVID-19 is now more than two-thirds enrolled". The global Phase 2/3 randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled study of opaganib in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring hospitalization and treatment with supplemental oxygen, is advancing in a total of eight countries and approximately 40 recruiting sites.

RedHill recently announced positive top-line safety and efficacy data from the non-powered U.S. Phase 2 study with opaganib in 40 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, in which opaganib demonstrated greater improvement in reducing oxygen requirement by end of treatment on Day 14, on top of standard-of-care. The Phase 2 data also showed no material safety differences between the opaganib and placebo on top of standard-of-care treatment arms - further adding to the growing safety database for opaganib.

Opaganib, a new chemical entity, is a proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor with demonstrated dual anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity that targets a host cell component of viral replication, potentially minimizing the likelihood of viral resistance. Opaganib has also shown anticancer activity and has the potential to target multiple oncology, viral, inflammatory, and gastrointestinal indications.

The drug received Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and is being evaluated in a Phase 2a study in advanced cholangiocarcinoma and in a Phase 2 study in prostate cancer. It is also being evaluated as a treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia in a global Phase 2/3 study and has demonstrated positive safety and efficacy signals in preliminary top-line data from a 40-patient U.S. Phase 2 study.

Preclinical data have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-thrombotic activities of opaganib, with the potential to ameliorate inflammatory lung disorders, such as pneumonia, and mitigate pulmonary fibrotic damage. Opaganib demonstrated potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, completely inhibiting viral replication in an in vitro model of human lung bronchial tissue. The drug also demonstrated reduced blood clot length, weight and total thrombus score in a preclinical model of Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Additionally, preclinical in vivo studies have demonstrated that opaganib decreased fatality rates from influenza virus infection and ameliorated Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced lung injury by reducing the levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. The drug was originally developed by U.S.-based Apogee Biotechnology Corp. and completed multiple successful preclinical studies in oncology, inflammation, GI, and radioprotection models, as well as a Phase 1 clinical study in cancer patients with advanced solid tumours and an additional Phase 1 study in multiple myeloma.