AB Science granted authorization by ANSM to initiate Phase 2 study evaluating masitinib in combination with isoquercetin for the treatment of COVID-19

Paris, May 06, 2020, 2pm

AB Science granted authorization by French Medicine Agency (ANSM)
to initiate Phase 2 study evaluating masitinib in combination with isoquercetin
for the treatment of COVID-19

Company to host live webcast on Monday May 11, 2020, 5.30pm CET

AB Science SA (NYSE Euronext - FR0010557264 - AB) today announces initiation of a Phase 2 study evaluating masitinib in combination with isoquercetin for the treatment of COVID-19, following rapid review and acceptance received from the French Medicine Agency, ANSM.

This study (AB20001) is a randomized (1:1), open-label Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of masitinib combined with isoquercetin in hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19.

The study will enroll 200 patients (age ≥18 without an upper age limit) at medical centers in France and other countries. The primary objective is to improve the clinical status of patients after 15 days of treatment.

A webcast call will be held on Monday May 11, 2020 at 5.30pm CET to present the detailed study design and further explain the scientific rationale for combining masitinib with isoquercetin.

Dial-in & webcast information will be provided later.

Many patients with moderate and severe COVID-19, develop a “cytokine storm” that leads to severe pulmonary inflammation and various thrombotic events associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and potentially death. The combination of masitinib and isoquercetin may prevent the development of these two complications.

• masitinib is a potent blocker of mast cells and macrophages that are contributors to the cytokine storm
• isoquercetin inhibits disulfide isomerase (PDI), an enzyme directly involved in the formation of clots and decreases D-Dimer, a predictor of COVID-19 thrombosis severity.
• the combination of masitinib and isoquercetin has a synergistic effect against senescent cells, a potential target of the virus that could explain the higher mortality rates in the elderly.

Pascal Chanez, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the AP-HM and Aix Marseille University at Marseille, France and principal investigator said “The combination of masitinib with isoquercetin is based on a strong scientific rationale and offers a differentiated strategy. On the one hand, masitinib and isoquercetin have upstream activity to prevent cytokine storm and its associated lung injuries and thrombosis, and on the other hand, the combination has a totally innovative synergistic effect to target the senescent cells, which could protect the most vulnerable aged population. The enrolment of patients in this study will primarily come from the second wave of the disease”.