RedHill Biopharma Releases Positive Data For Its Opaganib In Covid-19 Treatment

(RTTNews) - RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (RDHL) Monday said Opaganib, the company's antiviral drug candidate for the treatment of Covid-19, showed strong inhibition against South African and Brazilian variants in preclinical study.

Partnered with the University of Louisville Center for Predictive Medicine, opaganib was studied in a 3D tissue model of human bronchial epithelial cells to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of opaganib in inhibiting the Beta, South African and Gamma, Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Opaganib exerts its antiviral effect by selectively inhibiting sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2), a key enzyme produced in human cells that can be recruited by the virus to support its replication.

RedHill Biopharma said opaganib's Phase 2/3 study in hospitalized patients with Covid-19 is fully enrolled and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.