NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) has highlighted the potential of its broad-spectrum antiviral NV-387 to address emerging COVID variants as cases of the new “Stratus” strain climb in California.
The Stratus variant, a descendant of Omicron, now accounts for the vast majority of cases detected in wastewater, according to Los Angeles county health officials.
In Los Angeles County, the COVID-19 test positivity rate rose to 12.6% in mid-August, up from 7.6% a month earlier, while Orange County’s rate increased to 14.4% from 8.1%.
Hospitalizations have also ticked upward, particularly among older adults.
Amid concerns about vaccine durability and reinfections, NanoViricides pointed to NV-387 as a potential solution for both current and future waves of COVID infections.
The drug is poised for Phase 2 clinical trials, having completed a Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers with no reported adverse events.
Notably, in preclinical studies conducted before Phase 1 trials, NV-387 demonstrated greater effectiveness than the approved antiviral remdesivir in a lethal animal model of SARS-CoV-2 lung infection.
The company said NV-387 is designed to overcome the challenge of viral escape from vaccines and antibodies.
By mimicking heparan sulfate structures used by viruses to attach to human cells, NV-387 targets a mechanism that is unlikely to change without the virus losing its ability to infect.
NV-387 is "orally available," formulated as dissolvable oral gummies, making it usable by age groups that have trouble swallowing pills, such as children or older adults. It is also unreliant on the patients' immune system, which again supports pediatric and geriatric patients, NanoViricides highlighted.
"Our broad-spectrum drug NV-387 is thus marching forward to becoming a drug treatment that is likely effective not only against future COVID variants but also against influenza, RSV, and even Mpox and measles and their variants, as demonstrated in animal studies," NanoViricides CEO Dr Anil R. Diwan said.
He added, "It is completely manufactured in the USA at our Shelton, Connecticut, facility."