AIM ImmunoTech says enrollment for Ampligen study of cancer patients with coronavirus underway

AIM ImmunoTech Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:AIM) announced Wednesday that recruitment for the company’s Phase 1/2a study of Ampligen (rintatolimod) in cancer patients with the coronavirus (COVID-19) has begun at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. The study will examine the effectiveness of Ampligen in combination with the protein interferon alpha-2b in treating cancer patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. "Interferon alpha is a protein important for defense against viruses. It activates immune responses that help to clear viral infection,” the study team wrote on clinicaltrials.gov. “Rintatolimod is double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) designed to mimic viral infection by stimulating immune pathways that are normally activated during viral infection. Giving rintatolimod and interferon alpha-2b may activate the immune system to limit the replication and spread of the virus." READ: AIM ImmunoTech's Ampligen reduces coronavirus viral yields by 90% in vitro model "This trial reflects our ability to apply unique insights developed over the course of 20 years of work in cancer immunotherapy toward new strategies of engaging the innate immune system against virally mediated diseases," said Pawel Kalinski, scientific lead on the study. "Although this trial focuses on the treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, it is our hope that our findings may also have relevance for treatment of other RNA viruses, including such common pathogens as influenza, HIV and several oncogenic viruses." SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. The study is funded in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, in addition to institutional support from Roswell Park, the company said.  AIM ImmunoTech is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat immune disorders, viral diseases and multiple types of cancers. Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel