Adamis Pharmaceuticals Cleared to Proceed with Human Studies of Tempol for the Treatment of COVID-19

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: ADMP) ("Company") announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has completed the safety review of the Company’s Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application and has concluded that Adamis may proceed with the proposed clinical investigation of Tempol for the treatment of COVID-19. The clearance to proceed follows the submission of an IND application to FDA and a Pre-IND meeting.

The goal of the study titled, “A Phase 2/3, Adaptive, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Examine the Effects of Tempol (MBM-02) on Preventing COVID-19 Related Hospitalization in Subjects with COVID-19 Infection,” is to examine the safety and activity of Tempol in COVID-19 patients early in the infection. In addition to safety, the study will examine markers of inflammation and the rate of hospitalization for patients taking Tempol versus placebo early in COVID-19 infection. More details of the protocol can be found here or by searching Clinicaltrials.gov.

“As the principal investigator of this study, I am excited to initiate this clinical trial to evaluate the role of Tempol to prevent serious complications and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients. We are in need of additional therapeutic options for COVID-19, and this novel antioxidant approach deserves a thorough investigation,” noted Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Clinical Care and Research at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Tempol has demonstrated both potent anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antioxidant activity. Both inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from cells of the immune system called macrophages and neutrophils damage the lung in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). In animal models, Tempol has been shown to decrease proinflammatory cytokines (cytokine storm), and through its potent antioxidant activity has been shown to decrease the harmful effects of ROS. In addition, Tempol has been shown to decrease platelet aggregation, a problem observed in many COVID-19 patients.