- Recce Pharmaceuticals (RCE) has reported further findings from its fee-for-service collaboration between CSIRO and the Doherty Institute
- The latest round of results are from ongoing testing of its anti-infective drug R237 against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19
- According to RCE, the results confirm and extend the findings from testing in February, which found R327 to be 99.9 per cent effective against SARS-CoV-2 at higher doses
- On the basis of these findings, Recce has been issued a qualified recommendation to proceed to stage two of the programme
- Recce Pharmaceuticals shares closed the day in the grey to trade at $1.13
Recce Pharmaceuticals (RCE) has reported further findings from its fee-for-service collaboration between the CSIRO and the Doherty Institute.
The company’s synthetic anti-infective drug R327 is being tested against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in further stage 1B studies conducted by the parties.
According to RCE, results from this particular stage confirmed and extended the findings from the previous report and allowed the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2,046ppm and cytotoxicity (CC50) of 5,108ppm of R327 to be determined.
Broadly, Recce affirms R327 has been shown to be effective and not highly toxic to a small window of concentrations in preliminary testing and has therefore received a qualified recommendation to proceed to stage two of the programme.
The next round of testing is set to include further testing in normal human bronchial epithelial cells grown at the air-liquid interface, with results expected towards the end of the year.
The pharmaceutical player advised further testing will need to be completed in order to determine whether R327 will show an inhibitory effect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus without associated toxicity.
Non-Executive Chairman Dr John Prendergast described the results as encouraging.
“These results continue to reinforce our confidence in the potential of R327 against SARS-CoV-2 as another line of defence in the arsenal against COVID-19,” he said.
Recce Pharmaceuticals shares closed the day in the grey to trade at $1.13.