SAN DIEGO, Aug. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE, "Sorrento") today announced that it has entered into an option agreement (“Option”) with The Texas A&M University System (“TAMUS”) for exclusive rights to the intellectual property covering highly potent main protease (M Pro ) inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. This latest agreement bolsters Sorrento’s wide-ranging portfolio of preclinical and clinical therapeutic candidates targeting COVID-19, including new and emerging variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Under the terms of the agreement, Sorrento has an exclusive option to exclusively license patents covering the M Pro inhibitor drug candidates.
Discovered and developed by Dr. Wenshe Ray Liu and his research team at Texas A&M University, the M Pro inhibitors have demonstrated strong cellular antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical studies. Several M P ro inhibitors were identified that exhibited antiviral effects against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Indian (Delta), UK (Alpha), Brazilian (Beta) and South Africa (Gamma) variants of concern. The potential advantage of using small molecules, in oral and/or intravenous administration, that target M P ro is that they are not affected by mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which may enable M P ro drugs to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs), as well as against other coronaviruses that currently exist or might emerge in the future.
“M P ro is a SARS-CoV-2 enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a number of essential proteins for the viral reproduction. M P ro inhibitors block this catalytic process to inhibit the viral replication in human cell hosts achieving the eradication of the virus,” according to Dr. Liu.
“We are excited to be collaborating with Dr. Liu and his team at Texas A&M and look forward to advancing the development of these novel drug candidates to address COVID-19, and a multitude of other respiratory viruses,” stated Dr. Henry Ji, Chairman and CEO of Sorrento. “This agreement further strengthens our dynamic COVID-19 product portfolio and is well aligned with our overall strategic plan to combat COVID-19 through a combination of potent small molecules and antibodies, cellular therapies and vaccines.”
Sorrento may exercise its right to enter into a worldwide exclusive license agreement at any time during the option period.
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