Tetra Bio-Pharma releases positive results for ARDS-003 in animal studies for treating inflammatory lung injury

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc (TSE:TBP) (OTCQB:TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery, shared the promising results of an experimental study with its investigational new drug ARDS-003 in a model of lung injury. 

The Canadian biopharmaceutical company said it has completed pre-clinical studies demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effect of ARDS-003, in an animal model of lung injury known as “induced pulmonary fibrosis” (IPF). This occurs when lung tissue is scarred, often as a result of extreme or prolonged inflammation, and results in a stiffening of lung tissue that may lead to respiratory problems and, in extreme cases, respiratory failure. While human conditions associated with lung injury may be caused by autoimmune disorders or viral infections, application of inflammatory agents such as bleomycin has been shown to induce similar effects in animal models.

Tetra Bio-Pharma explained that since no animal model of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been established, alternative models of inflammation-driven respiratory conditions leading to pulmonary fibrosis are currently being used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments to mitigate the organ disfunction seen in COVID-19. “Administration of ARDS-003 to animals in which lung tissue has been inflamed, using the bleomycin-induced IPF model, has produced promising results,” said the company.

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ARDS-003 was able to reduce the levels of key inflammatory cytokine markers, such as IL-6. Significantly, this anti-inflammatory effect was seen in reduced fibrosis when the lung tissue was analyzed after 20 days of treatment.

To further confirm that a comparable effect may occur in humans, ARDS-003 was studied using models of inflammation in human lung cells and was similarly found to reduce the effects of fibrosis-associated inflammatory pathways, said the company. Together, these results present “positive evidence for the use of ARDS-003 as an experimental therapeutic treatment for patients with severe inflammatory disorders such as COVID-19,” said the company.

Tetra Bio-Pharma CEO Guy Chamberland said: “ARDS-003 is an investigational new drug designed to dampen the cytokine release syndrome and prevent the development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a serious, life-threatening condition that develops as a result of infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”

Dr Chamberland added: “We will soon be submitting the application for our Phase I clinical trial to demonstrate safety in healthy volunteers and define the pharmacokinetic profile of ARDS-003 prior to initiating studies in patients with COVID-19.”

The company said it is not making any implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure and/or contain the COVID-19 at this time.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive

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