Ayala Pharmaceuticals Reports Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

Research, News, and Market Data on Ayala Pharmaceuticals

 

— Data read-outs expected on AL102 in desmoid tumors and AL101 in ACC and TNBC —

REHOVOT, Israel and WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AYLA), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations, today announced its key objectives for 2022.

“We believe that 2022 will be a pivotal year for Ayala as we continue to advance our unique clinical stage portfolio of gamma secretase inhibitors to treat rare and aggressive cancers with no approved therapies,” said Roni Mamluk, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Ayala. “We hope to build on the excellent progress we made in 2021 and look forward to multiple clinical milestones that have the potential to create significant value. Specifically, we expect data read-outs from AL102 in desmoid tumors and from our AL101 programs in adenoid cystic carcinoma and triple negative breast cancer. We plan to advance AL101 into the clinic in a Phase 2 trial in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We are pleased, also, with our ongoing collaboration with Novartis to develop AL102 in combination with its anti-BCMA agent for multiple myeloma and hope to be able to share an update on this exciting program as well.”

2021 Key Achievements

• Initiated pivotal Phase 2/3 RINGSIDE study of AL102 in desmoid tumors
• Initiated Phase 2 TENACITY study of AL101 in Notch-activated TNBC
• Initiated Phase 1 trial of AL102 in combination with BCMA targeting agent WVT078 in relapsed/refractory MM (in collaboration with Novartis)
• Presented positive preliminary data from the 6 mg cohort of the ongoing Phase 2 ACCURACY study of AL101 in recurrent/metastatic ACC at ESMO 2021
• Published case studies highlighting clinical activity of AL101 with long-lasting responses in patients with desmoid tumors
• Completed $25 million strategic equity financing

Expected Milestones in 2022

Initial Interim Data from Pivotal Phase 2/3 RINGSIDE Trial in Desmoid Tumors (Mid-2022):

• Ayala expects to report an initial interim data read-out from Part A of the Phase 2/3 RINGSIDE trial of AL102 in desmoid tumors in mid-2022. Part A is open-label and is evaluating safety, tolerability, and tumor volume by MRI after 16 weeks.
• Part B of the study will start immediately after dose selection from Part A and will be a double-blind placebo-controlled study enrolling up to 156 patients with progressive disease, randomized 2:1 between AL102 or placebo.
• If successful RINGSIDE will be used as a registrational study.
  

Preliminary Data from Phase 2 TENACITY Trial of AL101 in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (H2-2022)

• Preliminary data from the Phase 2 TENACITY clinical trial of AL101, for the treatment of patients with Notch-activated recurrent or metastatic (R/M) triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are expected in H2-2022.
• TENACITY is an open-label, multicenter, single arm study that is expected to initially enroll up to 26 patients with Notch-activated R/M TNBC whose disease has recurred or progressed after three or fewer lines of prior therapy.
• The primary endpoint is the objective response rate. Secondary endpoints include safety, duration of response, progression free survival, and relapse free survival.
• Ayala is currently the only company pursuing clinical development of a Notch inhibitor for TNBC.

Additional Data from Phase 2 ACCURACY Trial of AL101 in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (Mid-2022)

• The ongoing ACCURACY trial is an open-label, single-arm Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating AL101 as monotherapy for the treatment of R/M ACC for Notch-activated mutations patients.
• Part 1 of the trial included 45 subjects dosed at 4 mg of AL101 IV once weekly. Final data from the 4 mg and additional data from the 6 mg cohort which includes 42 subjects are expected to be announced during 2022.
• The primary endpoint is the objective response rate as measured by RECIST 1.1 criteria. Secondary endpoints include objective response rate by investigator review, duration of response and progression-free survival by an independent review committee and an investigator review, overall survival, safety and tolerability, and pharmacokinetics.
• AL101, if approved, could potentially be the first systemic therapy for ACC.

Initiate Phase 2 Clinical Trial Evaluating AL101 in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (H2-2022)

• Ayala plans to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating AL101 in R/R T-ALL
• Notch is known to be a critical component of T-cell development and is inherently implicated as a tumorigenic driver in T-ALL. Approximately 65% of all T-ALL patients have Notch-activating mutations.

About Ayala Pharmaceuticals
Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from rare and aggressive cancers, primarily in genetically defined patient populations. Ayala’s approach is focused on predicating, identifying and addressing tumorigenic drivers of cancer through a combination of its bioinformatics platform and next-generation sequencing to deliver targeted therapies to underserved patient populations. The company has two product candidates under development, AL101 and AL102, targeting the aberrant activation of the Notch pathway with gamma secretase inhibitors to treat a variety of tumors including Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), Desmoid Tumors and Multiple Myeloma (MM) (in collaboration with Novartis). AL101, has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA and is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with ACC (ACCURACY) bearing Notch activating mutations and in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with TNBC (TENACITY) bearing Notch activating mutations and other gene rearrangements. AL102 is currently in a Pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trials for patients with desmoid tumors (RINGSIDE) and is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in combination with Novartis’ BCMA targeting agent, WVT078, in Patients with relapsed/refractory Multiple Myeloma. For more information, visit www.ayalapharma.com..

Contacts:

Investors:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors LLC
+1-617-435-6602
jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com

Ayala Pharmaceuticals:
+1-857-444-0553
info@ayalapharma.com 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our development of AL101 and AL102, the promise and potential impact of our preclinical or clinical trial data, the timing of and plans to initiate additional clinical trials of AL101 and AL102, the timing and results of any clinical trials or readouts, the sufficiency of cash to fund operations, and the anticipated impact of COVID-19, on our business. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. The words ”may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: we have incurred significant losses since inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. We are not currently profitable, and we may never achieve or sustain profitability; we will require additional capital to fund our operations, and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we may not be able to complete the development and commercialization of AL101 and AL102; we have a limited operating history and no history of commercializing pharmaceutical products, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for our future viability; we are heavily dependent on the success of AL101 and AL102, our most advanced product candidates, which are still under clinical development, and if either AL101 or AL102 does not receive regulatory approval or is not successfully commercialized, our business may be harmed; due to our limited resources and access to capital, we must prioritize development of certain programs and product candidates; these decisions may prove to be wrong and may adversely affect our business; the outbreak of COVID-19, may adversely affect our business, including our clinical trials; our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations; our product candidates are designed for patients with genetically defined cancers, which is a rapidly evolving area of science, and the approach we are taking to discover and develop product candidates is novel and may never lead to marketable products; we were not involved in the early development of our lead product candidates; therefore, we are dependent on third parties having accurately generated, collected and interpreted data from certain preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates; enrollment and retention of patients in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by multiple factors outside our control; if we do not achieve our projected development and commercialization goals in the timeframes we announce and expect, the commercialization of our product candidates may be delayed and our business will be harmed; our product candidates may cause serious adverse events or undesirable side effects, which may delay or prevent marketing approval, or, if approved, require them to be taken off the market, require them to include safety warnings or otherwise limit their sales; the market opportunities for AL101 and AL102, if approved, may be smaller than we anticipate; we may not be successful in developing, or collaborating with others to develop, diagnostic tests to identify patients with Notch-activating mutations; we have never obtained marketing approval for a product candidate and we may be unable to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, marketing approval for any of our product candidates; even if we obtain FDA approval for our product candidates in the United States, we may never obtain approval for or commercialize them in any other jurisdiction, which would limit our ability to realize their full market potential; we have been granted Orphan Drug Designation for AL101 for the treatment of ACC and may seek Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or product candidates, and we may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation, including the potential for market exclusivity, and may not receive Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or for our other product candidates; although we have received Fast Track designation for AL101, and may seek Fast Track designation for our other product candidates, such designations may not actually lead to a faster development timeline, regulatory review or approval process; we face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete effectively; we are dependent on a small number of suppliers for some of the materials used to manufacture our product candidates, and on one company for the manufacture of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for each of our product candidates; our existing collaboration with Novartis is, and any future collaborations will be, important to our business. If we are unable to maintain our existing collaboration or enter into new collaborations, or if these collaborations are not successful, our business could be adversely affected; enacted and future healthcare legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our product candidates, if approved, and may affect the prices we may set; if we are unable to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for our technology and products or if the scope of the patent or other intellectual property protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and technology similar or identical to ours, and we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets; we may engage in acquisitions or in-licensing transactions that could disrupt our business, cause dilution to our stockholders or reduce our financial resources; and risks related to our operations in Israel could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 24, 2021 and our other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Cocrystal Pharma to Present at the H.C. Wainwright BioConnect Virtual Conference

Research, News, and Market Data on Cocrystal Pharma

 

BOTHELL, Wash., Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: COCP) (“Cocrystal” or the “Company”) announces that management will present a company overview at the H.C. Wainwright BioConnect Virtual Conference being held January 10-13, 2022. A webcast of the Company’s presentation will be available on the IR Calendar section of the Cocrystal Pharma website beginning Monday, January 10, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time.

“This year promises to be highly eventful as we plan to initiate first-in-human studies as quickly as possible with two different SARS-CoV-2 antivirals for potential oral and inhalation COVID-19 treatments. Building on Cocrystal’s platform technology and expertise in developing antivirals, we carefully evaluated broad-spectrum antiviral activity of these SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors against all major SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron and Delta. We also obtained favorable preclinical safety data on these inhibitors,” said Sam Lee, Ph.D., Cocrystal’s President and interim co-CEO. “Our influenza A Phase 1 trial is also advancing with subject enrollment expected in the current quarter.”

“We are well positioned financially to advance our clinical plans with a strong cash position and clean debt free balance sheet,” said James Martin, CFO and interim co-CEO. “We are pleased to begin the New Year by sharing our exciting plans with the investment community.”

About Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), hepatitis C viruses and noroviruses. Cocrystal employs unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize-winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. For further information about Cocrystal, please visit www.cocrystalpharma.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals of initiating Phase 1 clinical studies as rapidly as possible, expected subject enrollment for our influenza A Phase 1 clinical trial in the first quarter of 2022, and the potential efficacy of antiviral inhibitors against COVID-19. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events. Some or all of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks arising from supply chain disruptions on our ability to obtain products including raw materials and test animals as well as similar problems with our vendors and our current contract research organizations (CROs) and future CROs and contract manufacturing organizations , the ability of our CROs to recruit volunteers for, and to proceed with, clinical trials, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic including new variants on the national and global economy, the duration of presently discovered COVID-19 variants and our ability to treat new variants, the cooperation of the FDA in accelerating development in our COVID-19 program, our collaboration partners’ technology and software performing as expected, the results of future preclinical and clinical trials, general risks arising from clinical trials, receipt of regulatory approvals, regulatory changes, and development of effective treatments and/or vaccines by competitors, including as part of the programs financed by the U.S. government. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Investor Contact:
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com

Source: Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.

Tuesday, January 04, 2022

Baudax Bio, Inc. (BXRX)
Taking the Pain Away; Initiating Coverage with an Outperform Rating

Baudax Bio is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for post-operative pain, peri-operative pain, and anesthesia. The company currently has one approved therapy in ANJESO for post-operative pain. Proprietary ANJESO (meloxicam) injection is the first and only once-daily IV analgesic. The company also has a pipeline of early-stage candidates with two novel neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs), a proprietary related reversal agent to their NMBAs, and Dex-IN, an intranasal formulation of dexmedetomidine (Dex) that has sedative, analgesic, and anti-anxiety properties.

Gregory Aurand, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Baudax Bio Is Developing Non-Addictive Therapies For Pain Management.  The opioid crisis continues and Baudax has large market opportunity proprietary treatments for post-operative pain, peri-operative pain, and anesthesia, with one non-addicting product FDA approved and commercialized for post-operative pain.


ANJESO Is the First and Only Once-Daily IV Analgesic.  ANJESO is approved for management of moderate to severe pain, alone or in combination with other non-NSAID analgesics for up to 24 hours of pain relief. The product is a once-daily NSAID IV injection with preferential Cox-2 activity …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Ocugen Partner, Bharat Biotech, Announces Positive Immunogenicity and Safety Data From COVAXIN™ (BBV152), COVID-19 Candidate Vaccine, in Children 2 – 18 YEARS

 

Research, News, and Market Data on Ocugen

 

• COVAXIN™ whole virus inactivated vaccine generated broad antibody response comparable to those seen in a large phase 3 trial in adults 18+
  
• Adverse events were primarily mild, and no serious adverse events (SAEs) were noted
• Immunobridging trial demonstrated safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of COVAXIN™ in children from 2 years old and up
• No cases of myocarditis or blood clots were reported, as expected with inactivated vaccines

MALVERN, Pa., Dec. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ocugen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCGN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutics and vaccines, announced today that its partner, Bharat Biotech, posted results from a Phase 2/3 trial conducted in India of candidate vaccine, COVAXIN™ (BBV152), in children, aged 2 – 18 years, demonstrating a robust neutralizing antibody response and favorable safety profile on the pre-print server, medRXiv. Using a two-dose regimen administered 28-days apart, antibody responses in subjects were comparable to adult data from a previous phase 3 study. Those results demonstrated a greater than 93% reduction in severe disease. These pediatric data were the basis of Ocugen’s pediatric Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) submission in the United States for children 2-18 on November 5, 2021.

“These data represent the first positive vaccine data in children as young as two years of age and come at an important time as COVID-19 infections are seeing a spike across the globe,” said Shankar Musunuri, PhD, MBA, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ocugen. “The results suggest that COVAXIN™, which is made on the same platform used in traditional polio pediatric vaccines for decades, when administered in a two-dose series to children between 2-18, may offer an option that is safe while delivering a robust immune response.”

In the study, immunogenicity against key COVID-19 proteins was measured using geometric mean titer (GMT), a test that measures the amount of antibodies in the blood in response to the presence of the virus. GMT was measured across three age groups and demonstrated strong immune response after the second dose. There were no serious adverse events such as myocarditis, pericarditis, or blood clots, reported in any of the three age groups.

This immunobridging trial was intended to determine if COVAXIN™ generates the same protective immunity in children as it does in adults. To be considered equivalent, pediatric participants needed to achieve comparable GMT’s to those generated by adults in a large phase 3 clinical trial. At Day 56, across all ages, the mean SARS-CoV-2 antibody GMT was more than 30% higher in children aged 2-18 than the mean GMT from Phase 3 clinical trial involving 25,800 adult subjects aged 18+. These data demonstrate children 2-18 generate antibody response comparable to adults fully vaccinated with COVAXIN^™ (BBV152).

The study also showed increased antibody titers against 3 viral antigens (Spike – S1, Receptor Binding Domain – RBD and Nucleocapsid – NP) providing a broad immune response to COVID-19. In each case a more than 4-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers versus baseline (titers measured in the same participants before being vaccinated) was seen in all age groups after the second dose.

Participants were not reported to have experienced any severe adverse events. The majority of adverse events noted (49%, n=374) were mild (e.g., injection site pain) and a small proportion (19%, n=6) were moderate (e.g., fever, headache). Mild to moderate adverse events resolved within 24 hours.

The data were also submitted to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to support a pediatric indication as recommended by an independent committee, known as the Subject Expert Committee (SEC), that advises the Indian regulatory agency. Bharat Biotech intends to submit data from the full Phase 3 trial to a peer-reviewed scientific publication soon.

About the Phase 2/3 Trial in Children (BBIL/BBV152/2021)
The seven-month Phase 2/3 open label, multicenter, study enrolled 525 children ages 2 years to 18 from 6 clinical trial sites across India. Conducted between May and July 2021, it was designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of COVAXIN™ (BBV152) on a two-dose schedule (28 days apart) in three age groups: ages 12-18, ages 6-12, and ages 2-6. Children with prior infection of SARS-CoV-2 were not excluded from the trial.

About COVAXIN™
COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is an investigational vaccine candidate product in the U.S. It was developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV). COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is a highly purified and inactivated vaccine that is manufactured using a vero cell manufacturing platform.

With more than 125 million doses having been administered to adults outside the U.S., COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is currently authorized under emergency use in 17 countries, and applications for emergency use authorization are pending in more than 60 other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently added COVAXIN™ (BBV152) to its list of vaccines authorized for emergency use. And, as many as 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates with India that includes vaccination using COVAXIN™ (BBV152). The trade name, COVAXIN™, has not been evaluated by the FDA.

About Ocugen, Inc. 
Ocugen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19. Our breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to treat multiple retinal diseases with one drug – “one to many” and our novel biologic product candidate aims to offer better therapy to patients with underserved diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy. We are co-developing Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN™ vaccine candidate for COVID-19 in the U.S. and Canadian markets. For more information, please visit www.ocugen.com.

About Bharat Biotech 
Bharat Biotech has established an excellent track record of innovation with more than 145 global patents, a wide product portfolio of more than 16 vaccines, 4 bio-therapeutics, registrations in more than 123 countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Pre-qualifications. Located in Genome Valley in Hyderabad, India, a hub for the global biotech industry, Bharat Biotech has built a world-class vaccine & bio-therapeutics, research & product development, Bio-Safety Level 3 manufacturing, and vaccine supply and distribution. 

Having delivered more than 4 billion doses of vaccines worldwide, Bharat Biotech continues to lead innovation and has developed vaccines for influenza H1N1, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Chikungunya, Zika, and the world’s first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for Typhoid. Bharat’s commitment to global social innovation programs and public-private partnerships resulted in introducing path-breaking WHO pre-qualified vaccines BIOPOLIO®, ROTAVAC®, and Typbar TCV® combatting polio, rotavirus, typhoid infections, respectively. The acquisition of the rabies vaccine facility, Chiron Behring, from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has positioned Bharat Biotech as the world’s largest rabies vaccine manufacturer. To learn more about Bharat Biotech, visit www.bharatbiotech.com. 

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include information about qualitative assessments of available data, potential benefits, expectations for clinical trials, and anticipated timing of clinical trial readouts and regulatory submissions, including statements about data published on the preprint server, medRxiv, by Bharat Biotech, which found that COVAXIN™ generated a potentially robust neutralizing antibody response and favorable safety profile in its Phase 2/3 study in pediatric patients, and the potential for this data to support our application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVAXIN™ in pediatric patients. This information involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates; the risk that we may not resolve the current clinical hold on COVAXIN™ in the near term or at all, or that the FDA could make other decisions that adversely impact our ability to advance the development of COVAXIN™ in the United States, and the implications that this clinical hold may have for our request for emergency use authorization for COVAXIN for pediatric use, including the timing and scope of any such authorization; risks associated with preliminary and interim data, including the possibility of unfavorable new clinical trial data and further analyses of existing clinical trial data; the risk that the results of in-vitro studies will not be duplicated in human clinical trials; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments, including during the peer review/publication process, in the scientific community generally, and by regulatory authorities; whether and when data from Bharat Biotech’s clinical trials will be published in scientific journal publications and, if so, when and with what modifications; whether the data and results from the preclinical and clinical studies of COVAXIN™, which have been conducted by Bharat Biotech in India, will be accepted by the FDA or otherwise sufficient to support our EUA submission; the size, scope, timing and outcome of any additional trials or studies that we may be required to conduct to support an EUA or biologics license application (BLA); any additional chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information that we may be required to submit to the FDA; whether and when a BLA for COVAXIN™ will be submitted to or approved by the FDA; whether developments with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the regulatory pathway available for vaccines in the United States, Canada or other jurisdictions; market demand for COVAXIN™ in the United States or Canada; decisions by the FDA or Health Canada impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of COVAXIN™ in the United States or Canada, including development of products or therapies by other companies. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Ocugen Contact:  Ken Inchausti Head, Investor Relations & Communications ken.inchausti@ocugen.com Please submit investor-related inquiries to: IR@ocugen.com

Ocugen Partner, Bharat Biotech, Announces Positive Immunogenicity and Safety Data From COVAXIN™ (BBV152), COVID-19 Candidate Vaccine, in Children 2 – 18 YEARS

 

Research, News, and Market Data on Ocugen

 

• COVAXIN™ whole virus inactivated vaccine generated broad antibody response comparable to those seen in a large phase 3 trial in adults 18+
  
• Adverse events were primarily mild, and no serious adverse events (SAEs) were noted
• Immunobridging trial demonstrated safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of COVAXIN™ in children from 2 years old and up
• No cases of myocarditis or blood clots were reported, as expected with inactivated vaccines

MALVERN, Pa., Dec. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ocugen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCGN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutics and vaccines, announced today that its partner, Bharat Biotech, posted results from a Phase 2/3 trial conducted in India of candidate vaccine, COVAXIN™ (BBV152), in children, aged 2 – 18 years, demonstrating a robust neutralizing antibody response and favorable safety profile on the pre-print server, medRXiv. Using a two-dose regimen administered 28-days apart, antibody responses in subjects were comparable to adult data from a previous phase 3 study. Those results demonstrated a greater than 93% reduction in severe disease. These pediatric data were the basis of Ocugen’s pediatric Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) submission in the United States for children 2-18 on November 5, 2021.

“These data represent the first positive vaccine data in children as young as two years of age and come at an important time as COVID-19 infections are seeing a spike across the globe,” said Shankar Musunuri, PhD, MBA, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ocugen. “The results suggest that COVAXIN™, which is made on the same platform used in traditional polio pediatric vaccines for decades, when administered in a two-dose series to children between 2-18, may offer an option that is safe while delivering a robust immune response.”

In the study, immunogenicity against key COVID-19 proteins was measured using geometric mean titer (GMT), a test that measures the amount of antibodies in the blood in response to the presence of the virus. GMT was measured across three age groups and demonstrated strong immune response after the second dose. There were no serious adverse events such as myocarditis, pericarditis, or blood clots, reported in any of the three age groups.

This immunobridging trial was intended to determine if COVAXIN™ generates the same protective immunity in children as it does in adults. To be considered equivalent, pediatric participants needed to achieve comparable GMT’s to those generated by adults in a large phase 3 clinical trial. At Day 56, across all ages, the mean SARS-CoV-2 antibody GMT was more than 30% higher in children aged 2-18 than the mean GMT from Phase 3 clinical trial involving 25,800 adult subjects aged 18+. These data demonstrate children 2-18 generate antibody response comparable to adults fully vaccinated with COVAXIN^™ (BBV152).

The study also showed increased antibody titers against 3 viral antigens (Spike – S1, Receptor Binding Domain – RBD and Nucleocapsid – NP) providing a broad immune response to COVID-19. In each case a more than 4-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers versus baseline (titers measured in the same participants before being vaccinated) was seen in all age groups after the second dose.

Participants were not reported to have experienced any severe adverse events. The majority of adverse events noted (49%, n=374) were mild (e.g., injection site pain) and a small proportion (19%, n=6) were moderate (e.g., fever, headache). Mild to moderate adverse events resolved within 24 hours.

The data were also submitted to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to support a pediatric indication as recommended by an independent committee, known as the Subject Expert Committee (SEC), that advises the Indian regulatory agency. Bharat Biotech intends to submit data from the full Phase 3 trial to a peer-reviewed scientific publication soon.

About the Phase 2/3 Trial in Children (BBIL/BBV152/2021)
The seven-month Phase 2/3 open label, multicenter, study enrolled 525 children ages 2 years to 18 from 6 clinical trial sites across India. Conducted between May and July 2021, it was designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of COVAXIN™ (BBV152) on a two-dose schedule (28 days apart) in three age groups: ages 12-18, ages 6-12, and ages 2-6. Children with prior infection of SARS-CoV-2 were not excluded from the trial.

About COVAXIN™
COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is an investigational vaccine candidate product in the U.S. It was developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV). COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is a highly purified and inactivated vaccine that is manufactured using a vero cell manufacturing platform.

With more than 125 million doses having been administered to adults outside the U.S., COVAXIN™ (BBV152) is currently authorized under emergency use in 17 countries, and applications for emergency use authorization are pending in more than 60 other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently added COVAXIN™ (BBV152) to its list of vaccines authorized for emergency use. And, as many as 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates with India that includes vaccination using COVAXIN™ (BBV152). The trade name, COVAXIN™, has not been evaluated by the FDA.

About Ocugen, Inc. 
Ocugen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19. Our breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to treat multiple retinal diseases with one drug – “one to many” and our novel biologic product candidate aims to offer better therapy to patients with underserved diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy. We are co-developing Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN™ vaccine candidate for COVID-19 in the U.S. and Canadian markets. For more information, please visit www.ocugen.com.

About Bharat Biotech 
Bharat Biotech has established an excellent track record of innovation with more than 145 global patents, a wide product portfolio of more than 16 vaccines, 4 bio-therapeutics, registrations in more than 123 countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Pre-qualifications. Located in Genome Valley in Hyderabad, India, a hub for the global biotech industry, Bharat Biotech has built a world-class vaccine & bio-therapeutics, research & product development, Bio-Safety Level 3 manufacturing, and vaccine supply and distribution. 

Having delivered more than 4 billion doses of vaccines worldwide, Bharat Biotech continues to lead innovation and has developed vaccines for influenza H1N1, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Chikungunya, Zika, and the world’s first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for Typhoid. Bharat’s commitment to global social innovation programs and public-private partnerships resulted in introducing path-breaking WHO pre-qualified vaccines BIOPOLIO®, ROTAVAC®, and Typbar TCV® combatting polio, rotavirus, typhoid infections, respectively. The acquisition of the rabies vaccine facility, Chiron Behring, from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has positioned Bharat Biotech as the world’s largest rabies vaccine manufacturer. To learn more about Bharat Biotech, visit www.bharatbiotech.com. 

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include information about qualitative assessments of available data, potential benefits, expectations for clinical trials, and anticipated timing of clinical trial readouts and regulatory submissions, including statements about data published on the preprint server, medRxiv, by Bharat Biotech, which found that COVAXIN™ generated a potentially robust neutralizing antibody response and favorable safety profile in its Phase 2/3 study in pediatric patients, and the potential for this data to support our application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVAXIN™ in pediatric patients. This information involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates; the risk that we may not resolve the current clinical hold on COVAXIN™ in the near term or at all, or that the FDA could make other decisions that adversely impact our ability to advance the development of COVAXIN™ in the United States, and the implications that this clinical hold may have for our request for emergency use authorization for COVAXIN for pediatric use, including the timing and scope of any such authorization; risks associated with preliminary and interim data, including the possibility of unfavorable new clinical trial data and further analyses of existing clinical trial data; the risk that the results of in-vitro studies will not be duplicated in human clinical trials; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments, including during the peer review/publication process, in the scientific community generally, and by regulatory authorities; whether and when data from Bharat Biotech’s clinical trials will be published in scientific journal publications and, if so, when and with what modifications; whether the data and results from the preclinical and clinical studies of COVAXIN™, which have been conducted by Bharat Biotech in India, will be accepted by the FDA or otherwise sufficient to support our EUA submission; the size, scope, timing and outcome of any additional trials or studies that we may be required to conduct to support an EUA or biologics license application (BLA); any additional chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information that we may be required to submit to the FDA; whether and when a BLA for COVAXIN™ will be submitted to or approved by the FDA; whether developments with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the regulatory pathway available for vaccines in the United States, Canada or other jurisdictions; market demand for COVAXIN™ in the United States or Canada; decisions by the FDA or Health Canada impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of COVAXIN™ in the United States or Canada, including development of products or therapies by other companies. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Ocugen Contact:  Ken Inchausti Head, Investor Relations & Communications ken.inchausti@ocugen.com Please submit investor-related inquiries to: IR@ocugen.com

	Image Courtesy of Cue health

Companies that Make Covid Test Kits Should Benefit from Staggering New Demand

 

A new wave of Covid19 cases shifts shortage concerns to test kits and testing facilities. While lines for testing during 2020 were long for most, that condition quickly faded, most mass testing sites closed for lack of patients after vaccines were made available. New lines and shortages then quickly grew for vaccines. Each change brings reason for investors to look at the companies that may experience new demand from the shift.

In a regular meeting with Governors (December 27), the President discussed concerns and what all parties can do to help their states best deal with Covid this winter. The President brought up the post-Christmas spike and outlined three things they are doing. The first was related to increasing the ability to vaccinate by bringing more vaccines and vaccinators to the market. The second, we will highlight below because it is a major shift, it’s related to making hundreds of millions of Covid test kits available. The third is support for hospitals.

 

Growth in Testing

In the meeting with the Governors, President Biden said, “The second thing we’re doing is more testing.  Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows that we have more work to do, and we’re doing it.” He then explained how the White House would make hundreds of millions more tests available for the asking.

 

Remarks by President Biden at COVID-?19 Response Team’s Call with the National Governors Association

 

The President announced he ordered FEMA to set up pop-up sites in places with high demand to shorten waiting periods for testing.  As for the over-the-counter test kits he reminded there were zero at the beginning of 2020, there are now eight versions on the market with another just cleared. He quoted some staggering numbers related to these at-home kits saying, as a country we went from having none in January, 46 million in October, 100 million in November, and almost 200 million in December.

Over-the-counter test kits from pharmacies have been out-of-pocket costs for those using them. The President intends to change this, “Because of steps we have been taking to increase the number of authorized tests, we’re now able to purchase 500 million at-home rapid tests to be sent to the American people for free when they request it”  said the President When in stock, an at home test kit typically retails for $12. This sector of the medical device and diagnosis field is likely to experience much greater demand. Biden also pointed out that while they are providing no-cost to consumer tests, those that purchase over-the-counter tests will be able to seek reimbursement from their insurance company.

Virus Diagnostic Companies

While there are a number of behemoth companies that have a division that are involved in diagnosis and tracking, the below small-cap companies derive a larger percentage of revenue from these products. Information on each of these companies is available to research on Channelchek.

OraSure (NASDAQ:OSUR), manufactures the OraSure Technologies InteliSwab™ COVID-19 Rapid Test. It’s a self-swab test that provides results in 30 minutes. They are a medical device company that develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices and diagnostic products. The Company’s products include molecular sampling kits for the genome and microbiome services and analytics, rapid diagnostics for infectious disease, and tests for substance abuse. OSUR has a market cap of $650m and a one-month price range between $8.53 and 9.60, currently OSUR is trading near $9 per share.

Cue Health (NASDAQ:HLTH), offers the product Cue COVID-19 Test. The kit is unique in it is an at-home test kit with a reusable reader that provides results and information to a CUE app on the user’s smartphone.  Cue Health Monitoring System includes Cue Reader, made up of a portable, and reusable reader, Cue Cartridge, a single-use test cartridge, and Cue sample collection wand. Cue Data, with cloud-based data and analytics capability reads and reports back to the user. HLTH has a market cap of $2.3b and a one-month price range between $10.21 and $15.88, currently HLTH is reading near $15.82 per share.

Lucira (NASDAQ:LHDX), produces the first at home test kit that was FDA approved, the LUCIRA COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit.  The medical technology company is focused on the development of infectious disease test kits. The Company has developed a testing platform that produces high-complexity-laboratory-accurate molecular testing in a single-use and test kit. Its initial focus is on respiratory diseases, starting with COVID-19 and influenza A and B virus indications. LHDX has a market cap of $317.5m and a one-month price range between $4.91 and $8.47 currently, LHDX is trading near $8.12 per share.

Fluidigm (NASDAQ:FLDM), received emergency FDA authorization for its Covid-19 Saliva Test on December 7. The company says According to FLDM, its microfluidics technology enables processing of more samples per batch than more traditional, microwell plate-based PCR technology. The Biomark HD platform can generate as many as 6,000 test results per day on a single system. FLDM has a market cap of $287m and a one-month price range between $3.70 and $4.64 currently, FLDM is trading near $3.75 per share.

Take-Away

Covid test kits, whether at home or used at a facility are in increasing demand and have government sponsorship. Whether this translates into one or big two winners or across the board succesess for companies manufacturing kits remains to be seen. Understanding a manufacturers full company profile is always important prior to making an investment decision. The investment time frame may also be important when the company only serves the needs of Covid cases – the end game for Covid is that the disease will eventually no longer be a great a concern. Therefore, companies that also manufacture or plan to manufacture diagnostic products for other infectious disease as well as Covid may be more suited for long-term investors.  Login to Channelchek with your no-cost account and learn more about these companies and others.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

 

Suggested Reading:

Will the Markets Continue to March Higher in 2022?

The Detrimental Impact of Fed Policy on Savers

Money Supply is Like Caffeine for Stocks

There is More than Just a Covid Variant Weighing on Investors

 

Sources:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/12/27/remarks-by-president-biden-at-covid-19-response-teams-regular-call-with-the-national-governors-association/

channelchek.vercel.app

 

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Cocrystal Pharma’s COVID-19 Oral and Intranasal/Pulmonary Protease Inhibitors Exhibit Powerful In Vitro Potency Against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant

Research, News, and Market Data on Cocrystal Pharma

 

Antiviral activity now confirmed against SARS-CoV-2 and all variants of concern
including Omicron, Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma 

BOTHELL, Wash., Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: COCP) (“Cocrystal” or the “Company”) announces that in vitro studies demonstrate its oral and intranasal/pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors exhibit antiviral potency against the Omicron variant. The Company earlier confirmed that its protease inhibitors demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and all major previously identified variants including Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Cocrystal expects to initiate Phase 1 clinical studies with its COVID-19 intranasal/pulmonary protease inhibitor CDI-45205 and an oral COVID-19 protease inhibitor as rapidly as possible.

To confirm the antiviral activity of its protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Cocrystal conducted an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 lineages covering all reported Omicron variant sequences including those from South Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, and identified one prevalent mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Using its proprietary platform technology and assays, the Company further confirmed in vitro antiviral activity of its protease inhibitors against the Omicron variant.

“Our ability to develop highly sensitive in vitro assays and X-ray crystals within a month is particularly important to evaluate the broad-spectrum activity of our SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors against a heavily mutated Omicron variant,” said Sam Lee, Ph.D., Cocrystal’s President and interim co-CEO. “Our protease inhibitors bind to a highly conserved region of the active site of the protease that is required for SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. We believe that, due to their novel mechanism of action, our protease inhibitors will be effective against newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We are also highly encouraged by promising safety profiles of our SARS-CoV-2 oral protease inhibitors from 7-day mouse oral dosing toxicity studies. Our goal is to rapidly advance two protease inhibitors into first-in-human studies as rapidly as possible.”

“Omicron has been identified as a variant of concern by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and is spreading rapidly. Since being identified in the U.S. just three weeks ago, Omicron is now the dominant strain in the U.S. according to the CDC,” said James Martin, CFO and interim co-CEO. “Our protease inhibitors are being developed to show broad-spectrum activity against SARS-CoV-2 infections regardless of the variant, with the added feature of high barriers to viral resistance.”

CDI-45205 is one of three COVID-19 programs underway at Cocrystal. In the second COVID-19 program, the Company plans to begin a Phase 1 study also as rapidly as possible with an orally administered protease inhibitor. In the third COVID-19 program, Cocrystal is using its unique structure-based technology platform to discover replication inhibitors for oral administration.

About CDI-45205
CDI-45205 is among a group of protease inhibitors obtained by Cocrystal under an exclusive license agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation (KSURF) in 2020. CDI-45205 and several analogs showed potent in vitro activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (India/B.1.617.2), Gamma (Brazil/P.1), Alpha (United Kingdom/B.1.1.7) and Beta (South African/B.1.351) variants, surpassing the activity observed with the original Wuhan strain. CDI-45205 has also shown good bioavailability in mouse and rat pharmacokinetic studies via intraperitoneal injection, and no cytotoxicity against a variety of human cell lines. Preclinical research demonstrated a strong synergistic effect with the FDA-approved COVID-19 medicine remdesivir. Additionally, a proof-of-concept animal study demonstrated that daily injection of CDI-45205 exhibited favorable in vivo efficacy in mice infected with MERS-CoV-2.

About Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), hepatitis C viruses and noroviruses. Cocrystal employs unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize-winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. For further information about Cocrystal, please visit www.cocrystalpharma.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals of initiating Phase 1 clinical studies as rapidly as possible, our attempts to discover replication inhibitors for oral administration, and the potential efficacy of antiviral inhibitors against existing and new variants of COVID-19. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events. Some or all of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks arising from supply chain disruptions on our ability to obtain products including raw materials and test animals as well as similar problems with our vendors and our current contract research organizations (CROs) and future CROs and contract manufacturing organizations , the ability of our CROs to recruit volunteers for, and to proceed with, clinical trials, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic including new variants on the national and global economy, the duration of presently discovered COVID-19 variants and our ability to treat new variants, the cooperation of the FDA in accelerating development in our COVID-19 program, our collaboration partners’ technology and software performing as expected, the results of future preclinical and clinical trials, general risks arising from clinical trials, receipt of regulatory approvals, regulatory changes, and development of effective treatments and/or vaccines by competitors, including as part of the programs financed by the U.S. government. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Investor Contact:
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com

Source: Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.

Cocrystal Pharma’s COVID-19 Oral and Intranasal/Pulmonary Protease Inhibitors Exhibit Powerful In Vitro Potency Against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant

Research, News, and Market Data on Cocrystal Pharma

 

Antiviral activity now confirmed against SARS-CoV-2 and all variants of concern
including Omicron, Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma 

BOTHELL, Wash., Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: COCP) (“Cocrystal” or the “Company”) announces that in vitro studies demonstrate its oral and intranasal/pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors exhibit antiviral potency against the Omicron variant. The Company earlier confirmed that its protease inhibitors demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and all major previously identified variants including Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Cocrystal expects to initiate Phase 1 clinical studies with its COVID-19 intranasal/pulmonary protease inhibitor CDI-45205 and an oral COVID-19 protease inhibitor as rapidly as possible.

To confirm the antiviral activity of its protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Cocrystal conducted an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 lineages covering all reported Omicron variant sequences including those from South Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, and identified one prevalent mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Using its proprietary platform technology and assays, the Company further confirmed in vitro antiviral activity of its protease inhibitors against the Omicron variant.

“Our ability to develop highly sensitive in vitro assays and X-ray crystals within a month is particularly important to evaluate the broad-spectrum activity of our SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors against a heavily mutated Omicron variant,” said Sam Lee, Ph.D., Cocrystal’s President and interim co-CEO. “Our protease inhibitors bind to a highly conserved region of the active site of the protease that is required for SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. We believe that, due to their novel mechanism of action, our protease inhibitors will be effective against newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We are also highly encouraged by promising safety profiles of our SARS-CoV-2 oral protease inhibitors from 7-day mouse oral dosing toxicity studies. Our goal is to rapidly advance two protease inhibitors into first-in-human studies as rapidly as possible.”

“Omicron has been identified as a variant of concern by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and is spreading rapidly. Since being identified in the U.S. just three weeks ago, Omicron is now the dominant strain in the U.S. according to the CDC,” said James Martin, CFO and interim co-CEO. “Our protease inhibitors are being developed to show broad-spectrum activity against SARS-CoV-2 infections regardless of the variant, with the added feature of high barriers to viral resistance.”

CDI-45205 is one of three COVID-19 programs underway at Cocrystal. In the second COVID-19 program, the Company plans to begin a Phase 1 study also as rapidly as possible with an orally administered protease inhibitor. In the third COVID-19 program, Cocrystal is using its unique structure-based technology platform to discover replication inhibitors for oral administration.

About CDI-45205
CDI-45205 is among a group of protease inhibitors obtained by Cocrystal under an exclusive license agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation (KSURF) in 2020. CDI-45205 and several analogs showed potent in vitro activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (India/B.1.617.2), Gamma (Brazil/P.1), Alpha (United Kingdom/B.1.1.7) and Beta (South African/B.1.351) variants, surpassing the activity observed with the original Wuhan strain. CDI-45205 has also shown good bioavailability in mouse and rat pharmacokinetic studies via intraperitoneal injection, and no cytotoxicity against a variety of human cell lines. Preclinical research demonstrated a strong synergistic effect with the FDA-approved COVID-19 medicine remdesivir. Additionally, a proof-of-concept animal study demonstrated that daily injection of CDI-45205 exhibited favorable in vivo efficacy in mice infected with MERS-CoV-2.

About Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), hepatitis C viruses and noroviruses. Cocrystal employs unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize-winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. For further information about Cocrystal, please visit www.cocrystalpharma.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals of initiating Phase 1 clinical studies as rapidly as possible, our attempts to discover replication inhibitors for oral administration, and the potential efficacy of antiviral inhibitors against existing and new variants of COVID-19. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events. Some or all of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks arising from supply chain disruptions on our ability to obtain products including raw materials and test animals as well as similar problems with our vendors and our current contract research organizations (CROs) and future CROs and contract manufacturing organizations , the ability of our CROs to recruit volunteers for, and to proceed with, clinical trials, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic including new variants on the national and global economy, the duration of presently discovered COVID-19 variants and our ability to treat new variants, the cooperation of the FDA in accelerating development in our COVID-19 program, our collaboration partners’ technology and software performing as expected, the results of future preclinical and clinical trials, general risks arising from clinical trials, receipt of regulatory approvals, regulatory changes, and development of effective treatments and/or vaccines by competitors, including as part of the programs financed by the U.S. government. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Investor Contact:
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com

Source: Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.

BioSig Technologies, Inc. Selects Access Strategy Partners to Accelerate Commercial Sales

News and Market Data on BioSig Technologies

 

Leading healthcare management firm to enhance the Company’s market access strategy as it expands the installation base of its signal processing technology for arrhythmia care

Westport, CT, Dec. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioSig Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BSGM) (“BioSig” or the “Company”), a medical technology company commercializing an innovative signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals, today announced that it appointed Access Strategy Partners, Inc. to advise on the next phase of the commercial roll-out.

Led by medical device sales experts, Boston-based Access Strategy Partners brings to BioSig deep expertise in commercialization, contract management, execution, and value proposition optimization. The company’s Co-Founder and President, Jim Walker, is a healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, sales operations, and national accounts management in some of the leading companies in the medical device sector, including Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) and Johnson & Johnson. His experience spans domestic and international responsibilities, focusing on strategic market development and key customer management. During his 18-year career with Boston Scientific Corporation, Mr. Walker established the organization as a recognized leader with Group Purchasing Organizations. He created a world-class Corporate Sales organization that represented the full BSC portfolio to supply chain executives across every level of market aggregation, including group purchasing organizations (GPOs), national and regional integrated delivery networks (IDNs), and National and Regional Purchasing Alliances. Mr. Walker was the company’s lead strategic pricing advisor and gained the support of the executive management team to invest in and develop an enterprise-wide contract management system that provides global pricing intelligence and profitability analysis capabilities.

“ASPI was founded to provide strategic relationship management for emerging medical device companies,” said Jim Walker. “Our sales conversations are all about delivering excellent clinical and economic value. BioSig and its breakthrough PURE EP(TM) product bring meaningful benefits to physicians and patients that we are thrilled to introduce to healthcare providers.”

Under the terms of the new collaboration, Access Strategy Partners will advise BioSig on all aspects of commercial strategy, including economic value modeling, hospital administration engagement, and contracting.

“Jim and his highly accomplished team at Access Strategy Partners brings us proven success strategies in accelerating commercialization. Look closely at ASPI’s track record in helping emerging medical device companies, and you will see what we saw – strong revenue growth rates with sustainability. We look forward to learning from some of the brightest minds in medical device sales as we leverage the key insights from our initial commercial efforts to bring our disruptive technology to the next level of hospitals nationwide,” commented Kenneth L. Londoner, Chairman, and CEO of BioSig Technologies, Inc.

The PURE EP(TM) is an FDA 510(k) cleared non-invasive class II device that aims to drive procedural efficiency and efficacy in cardiac electrophysiology. To date, over 70 physicians have completed over 1750 patient cases with the PURE EP(TM) System.

Clinical data acquired by the PURE EP(TM) System in a multi-center study at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Massachusetts General Hospital was recently published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and is available electronically with open access via the Wiley Online Library. Study results showed 93% consensus across the blinded reviewers with a 75% overall improvement in intracardiac signal quality and confidence in interpreting PURE EP(TM)  signals over conventional sources.

The Company recently appointed a former Abbott senior sales leader Mr. Gray Fleming as its Chief Commercial Officer. BioSig is in a targeted commercial launch of the PURE EP(TM) System in the Northeast, Texas, and Florida and is in regular use in some of the country’s leading centers of excellence, including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, TX.

About BioSig Technologies
BioSig Technologies is a medical technology company commercializing a proprietary biomedical signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals (www.biosig.com).

The Company’s first product, PURE EP(TM) System is a computerized system intended for acquiring, digitizing, amplifying, filtering, measuring and calculating, displaying, recording, and storing electrocardiographic and intracardiac signals for patients undergoing electrophysiology (EP) procedures in an EP laboratory.

Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Forward- looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) the geographic, social and economic impact of COVID-19 on our ability to conduct our business and raise capital in the future when needed, (ii) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own, or in collaboration with third parties; (iii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iv) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (v) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; and (vi) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Andrew Ballou
BioSig Technologies, Inc.
Vice President, Investor Relations
55 Green Farms Road
Westport, CT 06880, US
aballou@biosigtech.com
203-409-5444, x133

Source: BioSig Technologies, Inc.

BioSig Technologies, Inc. Selects Access Strategy Partners to Accelerate Commercial Sales

News and Market Data on BioSig Technologies

 

Leading healthcare management firm to enhance the Company’s market access strategy as it expands the installation base of its signal processing technology for arrhythmia care

Westport, CT, Dec. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioSig Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BSGM) (“BioSig” or the “Company”), a medical technology company commercializing an innovative signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals, today announced that it appointed Access Strategy Partners, Inc. to advise on the next phase of the commercial roll-out.

Led by medical device sales experts, Boston-based Access Strategy Partners brings to BioSig deep expertise in commercialization, contract management, execution, and value proposition optimization. The company’s Co-Founder and President, Jim Walker, is a healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, sales operations, and national accounts management in some of the leading companies in the medical device sector, including Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) and Johnson & Johnson. His experience spans domestic and international responsibilities, focusing on strategic market development and key customer management. During his 18-year career with Boston Scientific Corporation, Mr. Walker established the organization as a recognized leader with Group Purchasing Organizations. He created a world-class Corporate Sales organization that represented the full BSC portfolio to supply chain executives across every level of market aggregation, including group purchasing organizations (GPOs), national and regional integrated delivery networks (IDNs), and National and Regional Purchasing Alliances. Mr. Walker was the company’s lead strategic pricing advisor and gained the support of the executive management team to invest in and develop an enterprise-wide contract management system that provides global pricing intelligence and profitability analysis capabilities.

“ASPI was founded to provide strategic relationship management for emerging medical device companies,” said Jim Walker. “Our sales conversations are all about delivering excellent clinical and economic value. BioSig and its breakthrough PURE EP(TM) product bring meaningful benefits to physicians and patients that we are thrilled to introduce to healthcare providers.”

Under the terms of the new collaboration, Access Strategy Partners will advise BioSig on all aspects of commercial strategy, including economic value modeling, hospital administration engagement, and contracting.

“Jim and his highly accomplished team at Access Strategy Partners brings us proven success strategies in accelerating commercialization. Look closely at ASPI’s track record in helping emerging medical device companies, and you will see what we saw – strong revenue growth rates with sustainability. We look forward to learning from some of the brightest minds in medical device sales as we leverage the key insights from our initial commercial efforts to bring our disruptive technology to the next level of hospitals nationwide,” commented Kenneth L. Londoner, Chairman, and CEO of BioSig Technologies, Inc.

The PURE EP(TM) is an FDA 510(k) cleared non-invasive class II device that aims to drive procedural efficiency and efficacy in cardiac electrophysiology. To date, over 70 physicians have completed over 1750 patient cases with the PURE EP(TM) System.

Clinical data acquired by the PURE EP(TM) System in a multi-center study at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Massachusetts General Hospital was recently published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and is available electronically with open access via the Wiley Online Library. Study results showed 93% consensus across the blinded reviewers with a 75% overall improvement in intracardiac signal quality and confidence in interpreting PURE EP(TM)  signals over conventional sources.

The Company recently appointed a former Abbott senior sales leader Mr. Gray Fleming as its Chief Commercial Officer. BioSig is in a targeted commercial launch of the PURE EP(TM) System in the Northeast, Texas, and Florida and is in regular use in some of the country’s leading centers of excellence, including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, TX.

About BioSig Technologies
BioSig Technologies is a medical technology company commercializing a proprietary biomedical signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals (www.biosig.com).

The Company’s first product, PURE EP(TM) System is a computerized system intended for acquiring, digitizing, amplifying, filtering, measuring and calculating, displaying, recording, and storing electrocardiographic and intracardiac signals for patients undergoing electrophysiology (EP) procedures in an EP laboratory.

Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Forward- looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) the geographic, social and economic impact of COVID-19 on our ability to conduct our business and raise capital in the future when needed, (ii) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own, or in collaboration with third parties; (iii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iv) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (v) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; and (vi) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Andrew Ballou
BioSig Technologies, Inc.
Vice President, Investor Relations
55 Green Farms Road
Westport, CT 06880, US
aballou@biosigtech.com
203-409-5444, x133

Source: BioSig Technologies, Inc.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Lineage Cell Therapeutics (LCTX)
Genentech Licensing Agreement For OpRegen Begins Transformation

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineage’s programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed to either replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineage’s clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include three allogeneic (“off-the-shelf”) product candidates: (i) OpRegen®, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the developed world; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; and (iii) VAC, an allogeneic dendritic cell therapy platform for immuno-oncology and infectious disease, currently in clinical development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. For more information, please visit www.lineagecell.com or follow the Company on Twitter @LineageCell.

Robert LeBoyer, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

OpRegen Licensing and Collaboration With Genentech Announced.  Lineage Cell and Genentech/Roche (RHHBY, $50.89, Not Rated) announced a licensing agreement covering OpRegen, the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell transplant currently in Phase 1/2a development. Under the agreement Genentech will assume responsibilities and expenses for developing OpRegen through commercialization in exchange for $50 million in upfront payments, $620 million in milestones, and royalties on sales.


Financial Terms Include $50 Million in Up-Front Payments Plus $620 Million in Milestones and Sales Royalties.  The agreement includes an up-front signing fee of $50 million plus undisclosed milestone payments of up to $620 million, and double-digit royalties on sales. Lineage Cell is obligated to make payments to the originators of the technology, which we estimate to be about $22 million, for net …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Stem Holdings (STMH)(STEM:CA)
What Do Friday’s Announcements Mean?

Stem Holdings Inc is engaged in the purchasing, improving, and leasing of properties and finance assets which are operated by third parties and are used for the cultivation and retail sale of marijuana. Its properties includes 42nd Street, and Mulino Farm which are used for agriculture. The company generates its revenue in the form of rental income from tenants.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

New Direction. After the market close on Friday, Stem Holdings announced it is divesting Driven Deliveries, the e-commerce and delivery platform that was acquired about twelve months ago. According to the press release, the move is a reflection of significantly increased competition in the key California market and reduced price per pound for cannabis, resulting in a consistent low margin business.


Management Changes.  In addition, Adam Berk resigned as CEO, effective immediately. Co-founder and current CFO Steve Hubbard has been named interim CEO. Mr. Berk’s resignation comes on the heels of the late November departure of COO Ellen Deutsch …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

	Image Credit: Kentucky National Guard (Flickr)

A Sensor Based on Quantum Physics Would Detect SARS-CoV-2 Virus Instantly

 

David L. Chandler | 
MIT
News Office

A novel approach to testing for the presence of the virus that causes Covid-19 may lead to tests that are faster, less expensive, and potentially less prone to erroneous results than existing detection methods. Though the work, based on quantum effects, is still theoretical, these detectors could potentially be adapted to detect virtually any virus, the researchers say.

The new approach is described in a paper published Thursday in the journal Nano Letters, by Changhao Li, an MIT doctoral student; Paola Cappellaro, a professor of nuclear science and engineering and of physics; and Rouholla Soleyman and Mohammad Kohandel of the University of Waterloo.

Existing tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus include rapid tests that detect specific viral proteins, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that take several hours to process. Neither of these tests can quantify the amount of virus present with high accuracy. Even the gold-standard PCR tests might have false-negative rates of more than 25 percent. In contrast, the team’s analysis shows the new test could have false negative rates below 1 percent. The test could also be sensitive enough to detect just a few hundred strands of the viral RNA, within just a second.

The new approach makes use of atomic-scale defects in tiny bits of diamond, known as nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. These tiny defects are extremely sensitive to minute perturbations, thanks to quantum effects taking place in the diamond’s crystal lattice and are being explored for a wide variety of sensing devices that require high sensitivity.

The new method would involve coating the nanodiamonds containing these NV centers with a material that is magnetically coupled to them and has been treated to bond only with the specific RNA sequence of the virus. When the virus RNA is present and bonds to this material, it disrupts the magnetic connection and causes changes in the diamond’s fluorescence that are easily detected with a laser-based optical sensor.

The sensor uses only low-cost materials (the diamonds involved are smaller than specks of dust), and the devices could be scaled up to analyze a whole batch of samples at once, the researchers say. The gadolinium-based coating with its RNA-tuned organic molecules can be produced using common chemical processes and materials, and the lasers used to read out the results are comparable to cheap, widely available commercial green laser pointers.

While this initial work was based on detailed mathematical simulations that proved the system can work in principle, the team is continuing to work on translating that into a working lab-scale device to confirm the predictions. “We don’t know how long it will take to do the final demonstration,” Li says. Their plan is first to do a basic proof-of-principle lab test, and then to work on ways to optimize the system to make it work on real virus diagnosis applications.

 

Using mathematical simulations, researchers have shown it’s possible to design a sensor to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus

 

The multidisciplinary process requires a combination of expertise in quantum physics and engineering, for producing the detectors themselves, and in chemistry and biology, for developing the molecules that bind with the viral RNA and for finding ways to bond these to the diamond surfaces.

Even if complications arise in translating the theoretical analysis into a working device, Cappellaro says, there is such a large margin of lower false negatives predicted from this work that it will likely still have a strong advantage over standard PCR tests in that regard. And even if the accuracy were the same, this method would still have a major advantage in producing its results with a matter of minutes, rather than requiring several hours, she says.

The basic method can be adapted to any virus, she says, including any new ones that may arise, simply by adapting the compounds that are attached to the nanodiamond sensors to match the generic material of the specific target virus.

“The proposed approach is appealing both for its generality and its technological simplicity,” says David Glenn, senior research scientist at Quantum Diamond Technologies Inc., who was not associated with this work. “In particular, the sensitive, all-optical detection technique described here requires minimal instrumentation compared to other methods that employ nitrogen vacancy centers,” he says.

He adds that for his company, “we’re very excited about using diamond-based quantum sensors to build powerful tools for biomedical diagnostics. Needless to say, we will be following along with great interest as the ideas presented in this work are translated to the lab.”

 

Suggested Reading:

There is More than Just a Covid Variant Weighing on Investors

Dip Buying in 2021 Has Consistently Paid-Off, is it Different this Time?

EV SPAC Activity Accelerated in 2021

Why Zoom Meetings Can Leave You Fatigued

 

Sources:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c02868

https://news.mit.edu/2021/quantum-sensor-detect-covid-1220

 

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