Shionogi progressing COVID-19 oral antiviral agent S-217622

Although Japanese drugmakers have been lagging behind the USA and Europe in the search for and launch of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, Shionogi (TYO: 4507) seems to be picking up momentum.

Today, along with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), Shionogi announced progress toward the initiation of ACTIV-2d (also known as SCORPIO-HR), a global, Phase III, multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 antiviral agent S-217622. The news saw Shionogi’s shares gain 2.4% to 7,238 yen by close of Tokyo trading.

SCORPIO-HR will evaluate the investigational 3CL protease inhibitor S-217622 as a once-daily oral treatment for high-risk, non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 within five days of symptom onset. The trial is being conducted by the ACTG, sponsored by Shionogi, and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) part of the USA’s National Institutes of Health (NIH).