Immuron deprioritises Covid-related R&D

ASX and NASDAQ-listed biotechnology company Immuron has deprioritised its SARS-Cov-2 R&D to focus on clinical development of more advanced-stage therapeutic drug candidates, it announced on Friday.

The company – which sells the over-the-counter Travelan product for preventing travellers’ diarrhoea – reported in July 2020 that Travelan had shown neutralising activity against SARS-Cov-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19.

Immuron had been pursuing the antiviral properties of IMM-124E following an initial in vitro study by Melbourne contract research organisation 360 biolabs. But said today that “the rapid evolution of the virus and changing treatment landscape presents significant challenges to conduct a clinical trial for SARS-CoV-2 with IMM-124E.”

It cited an ongoing assessment by new CEO Steven Lydeamore of the company’s whole product portfolio, as well as of its target markets, competitive advantage, and key growth drivers.

“Immuron has dedicated significant resources to interrogate the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 protection, however, the mechanism of how IMM-124E provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 viral infection remains unclear,” the statement concluded.

Picture credit: www.travelan.com and shutterstock

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