• Preclinical data with KIN001 confirm potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 as well as potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activity

• KIN001 is currently under evaluation in the KINETIC Study, a Multi-Center Phase 2 Trial in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

BASEL, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / August 23, 2021 / Kinarus AG, a Swiss clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced today complementary preclinical data demonstrating its lead therapeutic KIN001 could be a promising option for prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In in-vitro tests and animal models KIN001 potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication, as well as reduced inflammation and lung injury in mouse models. This triple mechanism of action supports the potential use of KIN001 in all severities and all stages of COVID-19. KIN001 is an orally administered combination of the p38 MAPK inhibitor pamapimod with a second marketed drug. Kinarus recently announced the launch of the KINETIC Phase 2 clinical study of KIN001 in hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

In studies conducted in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schubert at the Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, cultured cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 were treated with KIN001. KIN001 led to potent reduction of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Importantly, the combination of pamapimod with pioglitazone, the drug combination in KIN001, demonstrated greater antiviral activity at lower concentrations, compared to the effects of both individual components of KIN001. KIN001 was also active against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with a similar potency. This was expected as KIN001 acts to block viral replication in the host cell and not at the virus surface typically affected by mutations.

Additionally, in preclinical animal models of inflammation and lung injury, KIN001 significantly reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis by blocking multiple cytokines and inflammatory proteins, many of which have been implicated in the exaggerated immune response often referred to as the "cytokine storm" in severe cases of COVID-19.

"Due to its triple mechanism of action, we believe that KIN001 has the potential to be an effective treatment option in the fight against COVID-19," said Alexander Bausch, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Kinarus. "There is an urgent need for affordable, broadly available oral treatment options helping patients in all phases of the disease, and the Kinarus team is committed to develop a new therapy for patients with COVID-19."