Noxopharm files patent for Veyonda® as treatment for septic shock

Noxopharm Ltd (ASX:NOX) has filed a patent for its anti-cancer drug Veyonda® for use in the fight against septic shock, following compelling COVID-19 pre-clinical data. Septic shock is the critical drop in blood pressure or blood flow that can lead to multiple organ failure and potentially death. It is believed responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths globally per annum, with an estimated extra 3 million additional deaths from the current pandemic. Veyonda is being developed as an anti-cancer drug and one of the ways it achieves that is by blocking a signalling pathway called STING that serves as a trigger for an immune response and repair of damaged tissue. First to block STING in the clinic Noxopharm CEO and managing director Graham Kelly said ongoing studies of Veyonda and its active ingredient idronoxil had revealed Veyonda “appeared to be the first drug to block STING in the clinic”. “With an estimated one person dying globally every three seconds from cancer and one every three seconds from septic shock, the commercial opportunity for Veyonda has just doubled, underlining the commercial importance of the recent patent lodgement,” he said. “The key message from the pre-clinical data is the ability of idronoxil, via STING blocking, to block the production of a suite of cytokines, including ones thought to be involved in septic shock, and in particular, the cytokines associated with excessive clotting. “Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and septic shock are associated with spikes in blood levels of multiple cytokines, and general consensus is that blocking CRS will require reducing levels of a number, if not all, implicated cytokines. “Trials to date in COVID-19 patients with drugs that block individual cytokines either have failed for that reason or have proven only moderately effective at best. “The ability of Veyonda to block the generation of multiple cytokines is distinctive and is what marks it as an exciting treatment prospect for septic shock.” Market potential Septic shock occurs in response to viral and bacterial infections, such as COVID-19 and the flu, when an inappropriate, dramatic and self-destructive inflammatory response occurs. Large numbers of inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines are released into the blood, creating a range of problems such as clotting that can lead to multiple organ damage and death. The chemical response is known as CRS and the entire process is known as septic shock - and some lasting COVID-19 symptoms such as headaches, difficulty breathing, fatigue and organ damage are outcomes of septic shock. Currently, septic shock is treated with supportive drugs and fluids to restore blood pressure, anti-inflammatories such as dexamethasone, and antibiotics, but to date a treatment aimed at reducing cytokine levels safely is yet to be developed. By some estimates, the global sepsis therapeutics market is predicted to grow to US$6.1 billion by 2027. “The aim of Veyonda is to block the cytokine cascade stemming from an inappropriately high STING response and the objective is to use Veyonda in patients with poor lung function, and by stopping them from tipping over into CRS, thereby reduce the incidence of long-term disability and death and relieve the strain on high-care medical services,” Kelly added. Shares have been as much as 6.5% higher to 67 cents this morning and the company’s market cap is approximately $175.7 million. - Daniel Paproth