WPD Pharmaceuticals Reports Active Compound in Licensed Drug Candidate Reduces Coronavirus Replication in Vitro by 100%
April 09 2020 - 3:05AM
WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO)(FSE: 8SV1)
(the
“Company” or
“WPD”) a
clinical stage pharmaceutical company
, is pleased
to announce that independent research on its WP1122 drug compound
found 2-deoxy-D-glucose (“
2-DG”) to reduce
replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by 100%
in in vitro testing. WPD in collaboration with its development
partner CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“
CNS”)(Nasdaq:
CNSP) intends to develop several preclinical drug candidates
including WP1122, which will be tested on a range of viruses
including the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
WPD has licensed rights to a portfolio of drug
candidates, including WP1122, through its license partner,
Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (“Moleculin”)(Nasdaq:
MBRX). Recently, researchers at the University of Frankfurt
disclosed the findings in their article submitted to NatureResearch
on March 11, 2020 (Bojkova, D et al; DOI:
10.21203/rs.3.rs-17218/v1)
(https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-17218/v1). The authors
reported that inhibiting glycolysis with non-toxic concentrations
of 2-DG completely prevented SARS-CoV–2 replication in Caco–2
cells. Glycolysis is a process by which cells convert glucose
into energy and infected (host) cells are induced by viruses to
dramatically increase their dependence on glycolysis. 2-DG
inhibits glycolysis because, although it appears to cells to be
glucose, it is in fact a decoy that cannot be converted into
energy.
WP1122 is referred to as a “prodrug” of 2-DG
whereby chemical elements are added to 2-DG to improve its delivery
in vivo. Once administered, these added elements are removed
by normal metabolic processes and what remains is 2-DG. As a
result, 2-DG is the active compound in WP1122. In chemical
terms, it is referred to as the active “moiety” (subpart) of
WP1122.
“We are excited with this breakthrough on our
WP1122 drug candidate and the early implications are that it could
have positive effects on reducing the spread of COVID-19,”
commented Mariusz Olejniczak, CEO of WPD. “I would
like to commend our license partner, Moleculin and the researchers
at the University of Frankfurt for their expedited work and the
willingness of the authors to pre-release this data will help
support our development of WP1122 for treating COVID-19.”
Walter Klemp, Chairman and CEO of
Moleculin added: “This discovery essentially put our
development efforts in to turbo-drive. We are moving as
quickly as we can to prepare WP1122 for clinical trials. With
the US and EU having established accelerated approval procedures
for COVID-19 related projects, we expect this to move very
quickly. We look forward to WPD’s help, especially as it
relates to expediting things in Europe.”
According to WPD’s license partner Moleculin,
2-DG is often referred to as the ‘active moiety’ in WP1122.
The issue with 2-DG is that its often metabolized too quickly by
the body, so human tissues and organs can’t get enough
concentration to be therapeutic. Therefore, even though 2-DG
is active against a range of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, it
isn’t useful as a clinical therapy because it metabolizes too
rapidly. WP1122 works to solve this problem because it is a
‘prodrug’ of 2-DG. Its structure enables it to achieve much
higher tissue/organ concentrations than 2-DG alone, but once it’s
in the cell, it metabolizes into the exact same 2-DG that is so
effective in vitro.
About WPD Pharmaceuticals
WPD is a biotechnology research and development
company with a focus on oncology, namely research and development
of medicinal products involving biological compounds and small
molecules. WPD has 10 novel drug candidates with 4 that are
in clinical development stage. These drug candidates were
researched at institutions including the Mayo Clinic and Emory
University, and WPD currently has ongoing collaborations with Wake
Forest University and leading hospitals and academic centers in
Poland.
WPD has entered into license agreements with
Wake Forest University Health Sciences and sublicense agreements
with Moleculin Biotech, Inc. and CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
respectively, each of which grant WPD an exclusive, royalty-bearing
sublicense to certain technologies of the licensor. Such agreements
provide WPD with certain research, development, manufacturing and
sales rights, among other things. The sublicense territory
from CNS Pharmaceuticals and Moleculin Biotech includes 31
countries in Europe and Asia, including Russia.
On Behalf of the Board
‘Mariusz Olejniczak’
Mariusz OlejniczakCEO, WDP Pharmaceuticals
Contact:
Investor RelationsEmail:
investors@wpdpharmaceuticals.comTel: 604-428-7050Web:
www.wpdpharmaceuticals.com
Cautionary Statements:
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the
Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release contains forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that
contemplate activities, events or developments that the Company can
develop effective drugs against cancer and possibly SARS Covid
-19. Factors which may prevent the forward looking statement
from being realized include that competitors or others may
successfully challenge a granted patent and the patent could be
rendered void; that we are unable to raise sufficient funding for
our research; that we may not meet the requirements to receive the
grants awarded; that our drugs don’t provide positive treatment, or
if they do, the side effects are damaging; competitors may develop
better or cheaper drugs; and we may be unable to obtain regulatory
approval for any drugs we develop. Readers should refer to the risk
disclosure included from time-to-time in the documents the Company
files on SEDAR, available at www.sedar.com. Although the
Company believes that the assumptions inherent in these
forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are not guarantees
of future performance and, accordingly, they should not be relied
upon and there can be no assurance that any of them will prove to
be accurate. Finally, these forward-looking statements are
made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes
no obligation to update them except as required by applicable
law.
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