AB Science announces the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Chicago to conduct research for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 - Seite 2

In case of commercialization in viral disease, AB Science will benefit from an exclusive, royalty-bearing license on any discoveries made with AB Science products (1% of net sales on first registered product and 0.3% of net sales on further registered product to be paid to the University of Chicago).

Dr Nir Drayman, researcher at the Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering (University of Chicago) said, “We are delighted to work with AB Science on this global program. The discovery of masitinib as an anti-protease against multiple coronaviruses is a major discovery. Masitinib should be a priority drug to develop against COVID-19 and future emerging viruses. Unfortunately, this pandemic is not over and the world urgently needs anti-virals to combat this virus, and masitinib is a very promising candidate”.

Professor Savas Tay, principal investigator of the 3CLpro inhibitor study and author of the article (Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago) said. “In a context where we face the emergence of a number of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, the development of efficacious anti-viral therapeutics is urgently needed. Because masitinib specifically targets the catalytic residues of 3CLpro, its anti-viral activity is likely to be insensitive to genetic alterations of the Spike protein. Thus, masitinib constitutes a uniquely valuable therapeutic option for both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and variants against which vaccines or monoclonal antibodies may become less or not effective. This is why we are extremely pleased to collaborate with AB Science and eager to continue our research with masitinib and analogues of masitinib”.

“Collaboration is necessary for the rapid development of new drugs in the fight against this pandemic. We are proud to collaborate in all aspects with the School for Molecular Engineering of the University of Chicago, one of the best research centers in the world. Our ultimate objective in Covid19 is to deliver as soon as possible a drug that is a direct antiviral against the protease of the virus” said Alain Moussy, cofounder and CEO of AB Science.

Professor Olivier Hermine, President of the Scientific Committee of AB Science and member of the Académie des Sciences in France said, “Masitinib could represent an important therapeutic option against SARS-CoV-2 because of its dual mechanism of action. First, masitinib targets the protease, which is a validated scientific strategy to inhibit virus replication, the efficacy of which is not dependent on the emergence of new variants whose mutations primarily affect the virus spike protein but not the protease catalytic site, and second, masitinib bears anti-inflammatory properties that could reduce the cytokine storm”.