A variety of anti COVID-19 drugs have entered the clinical trial stage in China

VV116 is an oral nucleoside anti COVID-19 candidate drug jointly developed by many domestic scientific research institutions, such as Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Xinjiang Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The preclinical pharmacodynamics study showed that VV116 had significant inhibitory activity against COVID-19 original virus strains and mutant strains, such as delta virus, in vitro. The scientific research team of researcher Shen Jingshan from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the cooperative scientific research institutions found through the test on the adenovirus mouse model that oral administration of VV116 can reduce the virus titer below the detection limit, and can significantly improve the pathological changes of the lung tissue of experimental model animals. A series of pre clinical safety evaluation experiments showed that VV116 is safe and has no genetic toxicity.
Shen Jingshan, Researcher of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences: At present, we call it (VV116) as a candidate drug. After the pre clinical study is fully completed, we will first be allowed to carry out a clinical trial in Uzbekistan, and this clinical trial will be carried out at the same time in Phase I, Phase II and Phase III. In China, the clinical trial is also in progress, and everyone is looking forward to the data from the clinic.
In another laboratory of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers are studying another anti COVID-19 candidate drug FB2001, which is jointly developed by Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, Wuhan Institute of Viruses, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units. Researcher Liu Hong, the head of the research group, told the reporter that they mainly carried out innovative drug research on the 3CL proteolytic enzyme, a very important target in the replication cycle of COVID-19. FB2001 was an active compound they found in the experiment.
Liu Hong, a researcher of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences: This compound (FB2001) has very good enzyme inhibitory activity, and also has good antiviral effect in COVID-19. In March 2021, Phase I clinical study was conducted in the United States. In this process, relevant research work was published on Science as a cover article.
It is understood that Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made good progress in the construction of screening system, virtual screening, high-throughput screening, discovery of lead compounds and subsequent research and development of small molecule candidate drugs in response to the research and development of anti COVID-19 drugs.
Li Jia, Director of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: Both new drugs have completed preclinical research and entered the clinic. One is in the United States, and the other is in China and Uzbekistan. I believe that if we can prove that our drugs can protect COVID-19 patients well, it will be a very important support for COVID-19 patients all over the world.
In addition, a new drug "Procrustamine" with China's independent intellectual property rights has opened three clinical trials in Brazil since September 2020. The results show that the protection rate of this drug for male and female non hospitalized patients with mild and moderate diseases is 92%, and the risk of death of severe patients is reduced by 78%. At present, prochloramide is conducting phase III global multi center clinical trials for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients in the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, Malaysia, the Philippines and other countries, and also conducting phase III global multi center clinical trials for severe COVID-19 patients in the United States, China, the Philippines, Brazil and other countries, and completed the first patient enrollment and administration in the clinical center in the United States on October 1 this year, The clinical trial results are expected to be disclosed in the first half of 2022.
Ma Liandong, head of research and development of prochloramide: prochloramide can inhibit two important proteins that COVID-19 enters cells, one is called ACE2, the other is called TMPRSS2. Prochloramide can regulate the levels of these two proteins to reduce them, which will prevent viruses from entering cells from outside to replicate inside. The second is to reduce the risk of death by inhibiting the storm of inflammatory molecules. These are the two most important mechanisms, which are developed independently and completed by our own team.