DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renibus Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced today that its investigational treatment for COVID-19, RBT-9, has demonstrated antiviral activity in vitro against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
RBT-9 initially showcased broad antiviral activity against several enveloped viruses – as well as protective effects for vital organs, including the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver. Laboratory studies performed through the suite of preclinical services offered by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) have demonstrated RBT-9 inhibits viral activity of SARS-CoV-2. In particular, RBT-9 was effective at inhibiting replication of the virus.
“We are encouraged that two early stage, independent studies showed RBT-9 had notable antiviral activity against COVID-19,” said Stacey Ruiz, PhD, vice president of drug development and medical affairs at Renibus Therapeutics. “The inhibition of viral replication supports the potential of RBT-9 in treating patients with COVID-19, for which RBT-9 received FDA Fast Track designation in May and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 trial.”
“The antiviral efficacy of RBT-9 against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated using in vitro assays commonly utilized in the infectious disease field to determine the antiviral potential of drugs. The study was conducted at Texas Biomed’s state-of-the-art biosafety level (BSL)-3 facilities—part of the Institute’s critical infrastructure necessary for combatting diseases such as COVID-19—that span basic discovery through preclinical development,” explained Texas Biomed Staff Scientist Varun Dwivedi, PhD. For three quarters of a century, Texas Biomed has delivered high quality and reliable scientific data, Dr. Cory Hallam, professor and vice president, business development at Texas Biomed said, “The Institute is proud to work with partners like Renibus and to continue research on the antiviral efficacy of RBT-9.”
Renibus is currently enrolling patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial with RBT-9 in non-critically ill adults with COVID-19 who are at high risk of disease progression. For more information on this study, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04364763.
About Renibus Therapeutics, Inc.
Renibus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for kidney diseases. The Company’s portfolio includes RBT-1 for prevention of acute kidney injury, RBT-2 for delaying progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), RBT-3 for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, RBT-6 for pharmacologic stress testing in kidney diseases, and RBT-9 for the treatment of COVID-19 and other viral diseases.
Disclaimer
This article contains information regarding our future discovery, development efforts, business strategy, and market opportunities. This information constitutes a forward-looking statement. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those inherent in pharmaceutical research, such as adverse results in our drug discovery and clinical development processes, decisions made by the FDA and other regulatory authorities, market conditions, our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce proprietary rights and our ability to obtain any necessary financing to conduct our planned activities.
For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.renibus.com.
Media contact: renibus@edelman.com