Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc (IPIX)

[KMBJN]

Agree. VIP is described as a hormone, for the most part, and IMO isn't much of an antiviral.

If you look at the Brazilian study pre-print of VIP, the antiviral properties were not that impressive in vitro at 41% viral inhibition compared to brilacidin with 97% inhibition, nor did they give a MOA for antiviral properties "While at this moment it is unclear the mechanism by which both neuropeptides reduce the SARS-CoV-2 gene replication ..."

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.25.220806v2.full

Figure 2A.



Doesn't seem to have the proper dose-response curve either. Usually higher doses mean better control of virus. Figure 2A above doesn't show that.

I think VIP acts in the lungs by increasing lung surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-D, ...), which are innate defense peptides and immunomodulators.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196978110003293

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201411-507FR

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1513/pats.200701-018AW

Of course surfactant also helps lungs to breathe.