Laurent Pharmaceuticals Completes Patients Enrollment in Phase 2 Study of LAU-7b for the Treatment of COVID-19
MONTREAL, QC, Canada – May 20th, 2021
Laurent Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing the first-in-class pro-resolving drug LAU-7b, today announces that it has completed the enrollment for its placebo-controlled Phase 2 RESOLUTION clinical study of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The study, which enrolled 240 patients across Canada and United States, is expected to report top-line results in Q3 2021.
The main objective of the RESOLUTION study is to determine whether LAU-7b, once-a-day oral administration for 14 days on top of standard of care, can slow down the disease progression, prevent respiratory failure, and ultimately reduce the mortality rate in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
“We are grateful to the patients, their families, investigators and clinical research staff, for enabling us to reach this important milestone in the clinical development of LAU-7b”, said Radu Pislariu, MD, President and CEO of Laurent Pharmaceuticals. “COVID-19 therapeutics are a vital part in the fight against the infection and its complications, and we remain hopeful that LAU-7b’s dual antiviral and inflammation-controlling properties can provide a viable long-term solution alongside vaccines.”
LAU-7b is a novel oral form of fenretinide, an atypical retinoid that acts on certain cell membrane lipids involved in both viral replication and immune-inflammatory responses. LAU-7b was initially developed for its potential to trigger the resolution phase of inflammation, a natural mechanism that keeps the inflammatory response under control, without inducing immune-suppression (a “pro-resolving” effect). More recently, fenretinide was shown to have antiviral activity in vitro against SARS-CoV-2 and synergistic potential when combined with remdesivir, evocative of different mechanism than typical antivirals.
More details about the RESOLUTION study can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov using Identifier NCT04417257.