Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD)

[north40000]

Potential combo therapy with Remdesivir:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-haseltine-newsmake/top-hiv-scientist-says-he-wouldnt-count-on-a-vaccine-for-coronavirus-soon-idUS

....."For treatment, patients have been getting antibody-rich plasma donated by people who recovered from COVID-19, and drugmakers are at work producing refined and concentrated versions of that serum.

Known as hyperimmune globulin, those products are “where the first real treatments are going to be,” he said, predicting success also with research into monoclonal antibodies that home in on and neutralize the ability of the virus to enter human cells."

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GILD added Vascepa to a cohort of an oncology study months ago.

https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/amarin-AMRN/stock-news/82513921/amarin-supports-trial-to-investigate-the-effects-o


|"Amarin Supports Trial to Investigate the Effects of VASCEPA® (icosapent ethyl) in the Treatment of COVID-19
May 21 2020 - 04:05PM
GlobeNewswire Inc. Print

Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN), today announced support for a clinical trial to investigate the effects of icosapent ethyl (IPE) (VASCEPA®) on inflammatory biomarkers and other patient outcomes in individuals with COVID-19. The trial is sponsored by the Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group and is being led by Dr. Subodh Verma MD, FRCSC, FAHA, PhD, cardiac surgeon-scientist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and professor at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt MD, MPH, Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor, Harvard Medical School. The trial primary endpoint is the effect of VASCEPA versus usual care on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels from baseline to 14 days in adults with a COVID-19-positive diagnosis. The clinical study design also includes other endpoints that assess rates and severity of COVID-19 infection in this high-risk group.
Based on our current understanding of the biological effects of a COVID-19 infection, including that patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease are at higher risk of mortality and severe effects from a COVID-19 infection, and based on data related to the mechanism of action and effects of VASCEPA in lowering cardiovascular risk in certain high-risk patients, it is believed that VASCEPA could play a beneficial clinical role in helping patients infected by the virus.

The clinical effects of VASCEPA are multi-factorial. Multiple mechanisms of action associated with VASCEPA from clinical and mechanistic studies support the rationale to study its effects in patients with the COVID-19 infection. Additional postulated mechanisms that might play a role in the use of VASCEPA in the patients infected with COVID-19 include the following:

• Potential antiviral/antimicrobial effects1
• Fibrosis and cardiac damage mitigation in animal models2,3
• Anti-inflammatory effects (acute) in pulmonary/lung tissue4,5
“We believe that this pilot study may provide important information on whether, how, and if icosapent ethyl has biological activity that could have beneficial effects in mitigating severity in COVID-19 infection. If a positive signal is achieved in this study, larger, more definitive studies could then be considered,” stated Dr. Bhatt. “This pilot will also provide further insight into the effects of icosapent ethyl on various biomarkers, as well as valuable information about higher loading doses of this drug.”

For more information about Amarin’s COVID-19 research, please visit the COVID-19 Related Materials section on Amarin’s publications page at https://investor.amarincorp.com/publications.