Apeiron Biologics moves forward with APN01 for treatment of COVID-19

Austrian immuno-oncology firm Apeiron Biologics today announced that it has received regulatory approvals in Austria, Germany and Denmark to initiate a Phase II clinical trial of APN01 to treat COVID-19.

APN01 is the recombinant form of the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (rhACE2), and has the potential to block the infection of cells by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19), and reduce lung injury. The Phase II trial aims to treat 200 severely infected COVID-19 patients, and the first patients are expected to be dosed shortly. The novel coronavirus strain SARS-CoV-2 is a very close relative of the first SARS-CoV virus, which emerged globally in 2002.

APN01 has a unique dual mode of action. APN01 imitates the human enzyme ACE2, which is used by the virus to enter cells. The virus binds to soluble ACE2/APN01, instead of ACE2 on the cell surface, which means that the virus can no longer infect the cells. At the same time, APN01 reduces the harmful inflammatory reactions in the lungs and protects against acute lung injury (ALI/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).