Aptahem enters a collaboration with University Health Network in Canada to test Apta-1 in a coronavirus model
Aptahem (publ) today announced the beginning of a collaboration with the University Health Network, a research hospital affiliated with University of Toronto in Canada. The collaboration aims to evaluate the anti-coagulant Apta-1 as an inhibitor of hyper inflammatory response and an inducer of tissue repair to potentially treat COVID-19 disease.
The research team in Canada, led by Professor Mingyao Liu, has developed a unique murine coronavirus-induced acute lung injury model to study SARS with pathological features shared between SARS and COVID-19. This is the only in vivo model of its kind in the world. The model employs the MHV-1 virus to induce SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and does not require high level biohazard facility, which will speed up research to meet the urgent needs. When Professor Liu was presented with the results of Apta-1 from Aptahem’s conducted NHP (non-human primate) study, he realized the potential of Apta-1 to treat the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that can develop in individuals with COVID-19.
Luiza Jedlina, Chief Scientific Officer at Aptahem, comments: “We are very excited about entering this collaboration with Professor Liu’s group. His research expertise perfectly matches our focus on assessing the potential therapeutic effects of Apta-1 and the mechanisms of action that we have observed so far. Professor Liu is co-leading one of the world’s top research teams in lung transplantation, which makes him extremely knowledgable and experienced in severe lung injuries. We are looking forward to seeing the results for Apta-1 using this innovative in vivo model. If the outcome is positive, this work could lead the way for Apta-1 as a potential treatment for patients experiencing virus-induced symptoms, such as those experienced by individuals with severe COVID-19.”
“The current lack of a specific treatment for COVID-19 requires extensive research. The potential use of Apta-1 as a near-term therapeutic brings new hope to overcoming this challenge,”says Professor Liu, who is a Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute at the University Health Network; the James and Mary Davie Chair in Lung Injury, Repair and Regeneration; and a Professor of Surgery, Medicine and Physiology, and Director of Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine.
For further information:
Aptahem AB
Mikael Lindstam, CEO
Tel: +46 (0)766-33 36 99
E-mail: ml@aptahem.com
This information is information that Aptahem AB is obliged to make public according to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was provided through the agency of the contact persons above, for publication on 9 July 2020.
About The Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories
The Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories are located in the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower of the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network. Latner Lab research projects are focused primarily on lung transplantation, acute and chronic lung injury, and lung regeneration. https://www.uhnresearch.ca/
About Aptahem
Aptahem AB (APTA) is a biotechnology company that develops aptamer-based pharmaceuticals for the treatment of life-threatening conditions in which a combination of coagulation and inflammation are involved. The company’s primary pharmaceutical candidate, Apta-1, is being developed with the aim of preventing the high mortality rate caused by organ and tissue damage in sepsis patients, among others. The company possesses patent protection in strategic target markets and actively seeks business development opportunities with potential collaborators.