The experts agree. The targeted drug against COVID currently developed by Celon Pharma might change the course of the disease.

Thanks to its cutting-edge, innovative approach, Celon Pharma fast-tracks confirmation of the efficacy of its treatment against SARS-COV-2.

The new therapeutic approach designed by scientists at Celon Pharma combines the previously dispersed possible responses to the threat brought about by SARS-COV-2. That approach assumes shortening of the infection duration in affected patients and significant limitation of spreading of the virus across the healthy population.

The therapy developed by Celon Pharma S.A. has the chance of becoming the right answer to the greatest epidemiological challenge posed by viral infections, in particular the coronavirus. This has been confirmed by experts at the Polish National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) who have decided to grant nearly PLN 40 million of funding to the project under which that therapy will be developed.

The compounds currently selected by scientists at Celon Pharma are characterised by properties inhibiting the development of SARS-CoV-2 infections and blocking its penetration into the host’s cells. The planned inhalation route of administration will allow for carrying out treatment at home and will constitute a valid alternative to the currently tested infusions which require administration in an inpatient setting and are associated with a yet greater burden for the healthcare systems.

Maciej Wieczorek, PhD, President of the Board of Celon Pharma S.A. We are not cutting any corners. The SARS-COV-2 pandemics has exposed all weaknesses of not just the available treatments and the therapies under development, but also healthcare systems across the world. Various sorts of viral epidemics constitute huge challenges which, according to experts, we will be forced to struggle with for decades. That is why we are our approaching the comprehensively. We are benefiting from our team’s experience in the field of RNA, our modern laboratories equipped to work on viruses and our know-how on developing innovative drugs. That was the only possible decision given the available resources at our disposal which we can use to combat the greatest medical and social challenge currently faced by societies. The project assumes that the selected drug will be ready for treating patients in the course of clinical trials as early as in 2022.

Experts have confirmed that the therapeutic approach proposed by Celon Pharma will constitute a perfect complement to the currently developed therapies and vaccines.

Development of a vaccine is an important step in the fight against the virus, but from a population perspective, gaining immunity can take many years or even several decades. Before that is achieved, we need a therapy capable of shortening the course of the disease in infected patients and inhibiting the spread of the virus in the entire population. Jerzy Pieczykolan, PhD, Head of the Preclinical Research Department.

We have selected a promising class of new chemical compounds which meet the desired mechanism of action, i.e. they are characterised by properties both inhibiting the development of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and also blocking its permeability into the host’s cells. Presently we are conducting synthetic works on new analogues, and their activity will soon be confirmed by in vitro models developed in our newly designed BSL-3 laboratory located in Celon Pharma's Research and Development Centre in Kazuń Nowy – adds Krzysztof Dubiel, Head of the Medical Chemistry Department at Celon Pharma S.A.