RedHill's Investigational COVID-19 Drugs Combined With Gilead's Show Effect Against Ebola

RedHill Biopharma Ltd RDHL says opaganib and RHB-107 (upamostat) demonstrated robust synergistic effects when combined individually with Gilead Sciences Inc GILD Veklury (remdesivir) in a new U.S. Army-funded and conducted Ebola virus in vitro study.

Preclinical results for opaganib and RHB-107 show a distinct synergy in viral inhibition while maintaining cell viability (i.e., not increasing toxicity).

Twice daily administered opaganib has previously demonstrated benefit in late-stage clinical studies of patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 and was selected by the NIH Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program for Acute Radiation Syndrome development.

The company says opaganib is believed to be the first host-directed molecule to show activity in Ebola virus disease, having recently delivered a statistically significant increase in survival time in a separate U.S. Army-funded in vivo Ebola virus study.

RHB-107 met its U.S. Phase 2 study primary endpoint of safety and tolerability and delivered promising efficacy results, including a marked reduction in hospitalization due to COVID-19. 

RHB-107 was recently accepted for inclusion in the ACESO PROTECT adaptive platform trial for early COVID-19 outpatient treatment. 

The 300-patient PROTECT Phase 2 RHB-107 arm has received FDA clearance to start, with the first patient expected to be enrolled in the coming weeks. The study is being conducted in the U.S., Thailand, the Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Uganda, and it is estimated to be completed by the end of 2024.

Price Action: RDHL shares are up 18.17% at $1.5599 on the last check Wednesday.