Two AstraZeneca molecules to be explored as Covid-19 treatments under government’s ACCORD platform
Two AstraZeneca molecules are being explored as part of the government-sponsored ACCORD programme to fast-track research into Covid-19 treatments.
A single phase II clinical trial platform, ACCORD (Accelerating Covid19 Research & Development) is part of a co-ordinated therapeutic development pathway funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and UK Research and Innovation.
AstraZeneca has joined the programme to support the approach.
Speaking last Thursday, Mene Pangalos, the firm’s executive vice president, biopharmaceuticals R&D, said: “The ACCORD scientific review panel has prioritised the first six molecules for entry into the study. “The sub-protocols are being fast tracked for regulatory approval through the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and subject to approval, the team expect to start the first patient dosing within the next 10 days.”
The AstraZeneca molecules being explored in this first wave are a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor previously approved for a different indication, and a phase II drug candidate targeting interleukin 33 (IL-33).
Evidence shows how a hyper-activated immune response in Covid-19 patients can result in pneumonia, respiratory failure and death.
The Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) pathway is involved in production of inflammatory cytokines and published data suggests dysregulated BTK-dependent macrophage signaling may be involved in the exaggerated inflammatory responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and potentially play a part in Covid-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
IL-33 is a broad acting damage-response cytokine released in response to viral infections and tissue damage. It may be involved in driving and amplifying the overactive inflammatory response in the lungs of severely ill Covid-19 patients.
The ACCORD trials will assess whether these medicines can alleviate the cytokine storm associated with the infection, in which the immune system overreacts and attacks vital organs, like the lungs and the liver.
If successful, the drugs would advance rapidly to large scale trial platforms such as the Randomised Evaluation of Covid Therapy (RECOVERY) trial.
Life science companies are able to suggest which potential drugs or molecules can be tested through ACCORD.
The data will be open source and freely available to enable global knowledge sharing and collaboration.
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