Candidate: ATYR1923
Type: Fusion protein consisting of the immuno-modulatory domain of histidyl tRNA synthetase fused to the FC region of a human antibody. Acts as a selective modulator of neuropilin-2 that downregulates the innate and adaptive immune response in inflammatory disease states.
Status: aTyr said April 21 that it received FDA approval for its IND to conduct a Phase II trial assessing its lead therapeutic candidate ATYR1923 in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory complications. The company cited preclinical results showing that ATYR1923 downregulated T-cell responses, thus dampening the inflammatory cytokine and chemokine signaling implicated in severe COVID-19 cases; improved lung function; and reduced inflammation and fibrosis in multiple animal models of immune-mediated acute lung injury.
The trial will be a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating ATYR1923 in 30 confirmed COVID-19 positive patients at up to 10 centers in the U.S. Enrolled patients will be assigned to one of three cohorts of 10 patients each: A single intravenous dose of either 1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg ATYR1923, or placebo. The study will look to show safety and preliminary efficacy of ATYR1923, aTyr said.
COVID-19: 200 Candidates and Counting
To navigate through the >200 potential therapeutic and vaccine options for COVID-19, GEN has grouped the candidates into four broad categories based on their developmental and (where applicable) clinical progress:
● FRONT RUNNER – the most promising therapeutics/vaccines based on clinical progress, favorable data or both.
● DEFINITELY MAYBE – earlier phases with promising partners, or more advanced candidates in development that have generated uneven data.
● KEEPING AN EYE ON… – interesting technology, attracting notable partners, or both, but preliminary data.
● TOO SOON TO TELL – longshots pending additional experimental and/or clinical data.
GEN has also tagged the most common treatment types:
● ANTIVIRAL
● VAX
● ANTIBODY
● RNA
