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Q BioMed initiates production contract for MAN-19 as part of clinical trial to treat complications caused by coronavirus

Published: 09:00 26 Aug 2020 EDT

covid
The accelerated development of the therapeutic is being supported in part by funding from the Canadian and German governments

Q BioMed Inc (OTCQB:QBIO) announced Wednesday that a GMP production contract has been initiated for MAN-19, a clinical grade therapeutic intended to treat complications caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The Phase 1 clinical trial, which will be conducted with technology partner Mannin Research, is slated to begin patient enrollment in February 2021.

Q BioMed said the accelerated development of this novel virus-agnostic and host-directed therapeutic is being supported in part by funding from the Canadian and German governments under various research and development incentives and COVID-19 response initiatives. 

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More than 800,000 deaths have occurred worldwide as a result of COVID-19 so far, and the number continues to climb rapidly. Clinicians have reported a range of physiological abnormalities in severely ill COVID-19 patients, including respiratory distress and vascular complications. Research also suggests that death rates are alarmingly high for patients requiring ventilator support, demonstrating the need for therapeutic interventions that can prevent the escalation of disease severity. 

Q BioMed noted that human observational and genetic studies, as well as animal models of endothelial dysfunction, collectively suggest that by targeting the Tie2 receptor, MAN-19 may be effective in the treatment of a number of complications associated with viral infections such as COVID-19 and the seasonal flu. 

The company also said therapeutics based on the Mannin platform also have the potential to offer clinicians an intervention to rapidly stabilize the patient's vascular endothelium in hospital settings, such as the Intensive Care Unit, to prevent vascular leakage, pulmonary pathology, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. 

"There has been much talk of vaccines, but treatments are always going to be needed for people affected by these types of diseases, whether it's SARS-Cov-2 or another pathogen resulting in similar symptoms and complications,” Q BioMed CEO Denis Corin said in a statement,

“The Mannin Tie2 platform is designed to address life-threatening complications from a number of infectious diseases, including future potential viral threats. With the support of regulators we expect this treatment to be in the clinic very early next year," he added.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham

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