Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKEX code: 1672) announces today the first clinical study using Ganovo®(danoprevir) to treat naive and experienced COVID-19 patients was published in medRxiv.
The data from this small-sample clinical study showed that danoprevir combined with ritonavir is safe and well tolerated in all patients. After 4 to 12-day treatment of danoprevir combined with ritonavir, all eleven moderate COVID-19 patients enrolled, two naive and nine experienced, were discharged from the hospital as they met all four conditions as follows: (1) normal body temperature for at least 3 days; (2) significantly improved respiratory symptoms; (3) lung imaging shows obvious absorption and recovery of acute exudative lesion; and (4) two consecutive RT-PCR negative tests of SARS-CoV-2 nucleotide acid (respiratory track sampling with interval at least one day).
After initiation of danoprevir/ritonavir treatment, the first negative RT-PCR test occurred at a median of 2 days, ranging from 1 to 8 days, and the obvious absorption in CT scans occurred at a median 3 days, ranging from 2 to 4 days. Clinical findings suggest that danoprevir combined with ritonavir is a promising therapeutic option for COVID-19.
Ganovo®(danoprevir), an oral HCV protease inhibitor developed by Ascletis, was approved by the National Medical Products Administration for market launch in June 2018 for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C.
Dr. Jinzi J. Wu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis commented, “We are pleased that the first clinical study using Ganovo®(danoprevir) to treat COVID-19 patients was published in medRxiv. Ascletis is proud of repurposing our HCV drug, danoprevir, as a potential therapeutic option for COVID-19.”
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