Innovation Pharmaceuticals Receives Pre-IND Response from FDA on COVID-19 Trial
Company finalizing Brilacidin protocol; clinical study anticipated to commence in 4Q2020
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today receipt of written feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is in general agreement with the Company’s planned clinical trial for Brilacidin, a defensin-mimetic drug candidate, for the treatment of COVID-19. The FDA response completes the Pre-Investigational New Drug (Pre-IND) process.
The FDA provided feedback on clinical development plans for the evaluation of Brilacidin as a treatment for COVID-19. The Company is now incorporating this feedback and finalizing the trial protocol for its planned Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-national study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Brilacidin in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Target enrollment for the trial is 120 patients. Contract Research Organizations have been secured to expedite trial enrollment with many clinical sites expressing interest in participating in the study. The Company anticipates commencing the Brilacidin for COVID-19 clinical trial in 4Q2020.
“Getting to the point of being able to advance Brilacidin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 required an enormous amount of time, resources, and team effort,” commented Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “From the manufacturing of drug supply, to researching Brilacidin’s mechanisms of action in vitro against SARS-CoV-2 in infected cells, to now preparing and planning for the COVID-19 clinical study—was an extraordinary effort.”
Ehrlich added: “We are extremely grateful for the hard work of our employees, consultants and affiliated researchers. While no one can predict with certainty how Brilacidin will perform in clinical testing against COVID-19, we are optimistic based on the compelling preclinical antiviral data we have released and Brilacidin’s consistently successful results in other clinical trials. Our hope is Brilacidin for COVID-19 can be an important part of the solution to help rid the world of this deadly coronavirus.”
