GenEros BioPharma
The novel anti-inflammation drug is a STAT inhibitor and may reduce COVID mortality through a new MOA, according to biotech leader Dr. William Haseltine.
— Dr. William Haseltine
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — GenEros BioPharma (“GenEros” or “the Company”) announced today that FDA has approved its anti-inflammatory drug Clinflamozyde for clinical trials on COVID-19 patients.
Clinflamozyde is a novel inhibitor of STAT (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) proteins, which were first discovered three decades ago by GenEros founder Dr. Xin-Yuan Fu and colleagues. Activated by Jak kinases, the Jak-STAT pathway is downstream to many cytokine receptors that play essential roles in inflammation and immunity regulation.
It is well established that many patients with severe COVID-19 develop an immune response called “cytokine storm”. The immune system releases excessive amounts of cytokines, often triggering uncontrolled inflammation leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and other fatal complications. As shown by Dr. Fu and colleagues, most of these cytokines are mediated by STAT proteins. The clinical trial will determine whether Clinflamozyde can reduce COVID-19 mortality by modulating STAT functions during such a cytokine storm.
Dr. William Haseltine, biotech industry leader and former Harvard Medical School professor known for his groundbreaking work on HIV/AIDS, comments:
“I am optimistic that Clinflamozyde offers a promising new avenue for the treatment of one of the most troubling aspects of COVID-19, a life threatening cytokine storm. The drug inhibits the STAT pathway, a key intermediate in the cytokine activation pathway.”
Dr Xin-Yuan Fu, former Yale University professor and now Director of the Institute for Inflammation and Immunity, West China Hospital, is excited by the FDA approval:
“I am so pleased that after thirty years of work on STAT, the first clinical trial using STAT inhibitors for COVID-19 will soon start in the United States by GenEros. The trial represents a breakthrough for science and innovative medicine for global health and humanity.”
About GenEros
GenEros BioPharma Ltd. is a clinical stage biotech company that strives to provide innovative therapeutics for unmet medical needs. Founded by Dr. Xin-Yuan Fu, the main discoverer of the Jak-STAT signaling pathway, GenEros builds on decades of original scientific research and focuses on autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Qinyi Li
GenEros BioPharma Ltd.
+86 130 6188 3705
qyli@generosbiopharma.com
