Tri-county biotech firms tackle COVID-19 pandemic
Apr 17, 2020 13:19:18 GMT -5
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Post by itellthefuture777 on Apr 17, 2020 13:19:18 GMT -5
One antiviral treatment in the MannKind pipeline, part of a previously announced partnership with Los Angeles-based Immix Biopharma, has the potential to be developed as both a clinical strength and over-the-counter drug, said CEO Michael Castagna.
“You could see us developing something to treat COVID-19 that would serve both markets,” he said.
Drug delivery through the lungs could help reduce the dosage that needs to be delivered as well as minimizing side effects like harm to the liver or other organs. Treating the lungs directly could also help target symptoms where they occur, Castagna said, though the treatments would likely be more effective in earlier stages and tougher to administer for more advanced cases.
Castagna compared the crisis to his work with HIV in the 1990s and early 2000s, saying federal regulators are similarly supportive of bringing new treatments to market to fight the current crisis.
As part of the CARES Act funding, the company does not plan to lay off staff and announced management level employees and higher would take a 20 percent pay cut to avoid furloughing workers. Along with other cost cutting measures, the salary reductions are expected to save an additional $5 million to aid short-term cash flow, Castagna said.
The new drugs haven’t impacted the company’s current R&D pipeline, he added, though the cost to get products through the early phases of development, including formulation and proof of concept, are not high.
“That’s not the hard part,” Castagna said. “Once you get those powders, the hard part is can you scale them up?”
The drugs will likely then go to trials for stability and toxicity, where products that already have market applications will likely be quicker to gain approval for inhalable variations.
For the two anti-infection treatments, “Those are the types of examples where I could see a business partnership or a public-private partnership with a government or multiple governments.,” Castagna said. “We don’t expect our shareholders to bear the burden of this product development"
www.pacbiztimes.com/2020/04/16/tri-county-biotech-firms-fight-covid-19/
“You could see us developing something to treat COVID-19 that would serve both markets,” he said.
Drug delivery through the lungs could help reduce the dosage that needs to be delivered as well as minimizing side effects like harm to the liver or other organs. Treating the lungs directly could also help target symptoms where they occur, Castagna said, though the treatments would likely be more effective in earlier stages and tougher to administer for more advanced cases.
Castagna compared the crisis to his work with HIV in the 1990s and early 2000s, saying federal regulators are similarly supportive of bringing new treatments to market to fight the current crisis.
As part of the CARES Act funding, the company does not plan to lay off staff and announced management level employees and higher would take a 20 percent pay cut to avoid furloughing workers. Along with other cost cutting measures, the salary reductions are expected to save an additional $5 million to aid short-term cash flow, Castagna said.
The new drugs haven’t impacted the company’s current R&D pipeline, he added, though the cost to get products through the early phases of development, including formulation and proof of concept, are not high.
“That’s not the hard part,” Castagna said. “Once you get those powders, the hard part is can you scale them up?”
The drugs will likely then go to trials for stability and toxicity, where products that already have market applications will likely be quicker to gain approval for inhalable variations.
For the two anti-infection treatments, “Those are the types of examples where I could see a business partnership or a public-private partnership with a government or multiple governments.,” Castagna said. “We don’t expect our shareholders to bear the burden of this product development"
www.pacbiztimes.com/2020/04/16/tri-county-biotech-firms-fight-covid-19/
