Cytodyn Inc (CYDY)

[Midasbro]

BARDA no longer funding immunomodulators as support for the therapeutic class to treat COVID-19 grows

According to BioCentury’s COVID-19 Resource Center, there are more than 100 immunomodulators and immunosuppressants in the clinic to treat COVID-19. New entries this week include therapies from Evelo Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:EVLO), Theravance Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:TBPH) and Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:FULC).

HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority updated its website early this month to reflect that it is no longer accepting funding proposals for immunomodulators to treat COVID-19, or therapeutics targeting lung repair for the disease. It did not give a reason for the change.

The about-face follows the U.K. approval of anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone, which reduced mortality by 35% in ventilated COVID-19 patients (see “Master Protocol Shows Survival Benefit”).

The change also comes as ACTIV -- a COVID-19 consortium that counts BARDA’s parent agency as one of its members -- readies to launch a master protocol of immunomodulators this month.

The Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) consortium is led by NIH and managed by the Foundation for NIH. Its members include 18 biopharma companies, FDA, CDC and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). BARDA is part of ASPR (see “ACTIV Coming into Focus”).

ACTIV is planning five master protocol trials, the first of which will test three host-targeted immune modulators against TNFa, CTLA-4 and CCR2/CCR5

CCR5 (CD195) - CC chemokine receptor 5

C-C chemokine receptor type 5, also known as CCR5 or CD195

https://www.biocentury.com/article/305582/barda-no-longer-funding-immunomodulators-as-support-for-the-therapeutic-class-to-treat-covid-19-grows

The only CCR-5 inhibitor (there are no CCR-2) in clinical trials? You guessed it.

https://www.biocentury.com/clinical-vaccines-and-therapies