New protein therapeutic program initiated to fight COVID-19

ByErin T. Welsh, MA

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

Molecular Partners has initiated a program to develop a multitargeted approach to neutralizing COVID-19 infection using its DARPin protein platform.

According to a company press release, a DARPin candidate will be chosen based on its ability to block binding of the human ACE2 receptor, to block binding of a protease essential for spike protein activation and to prevent the change in the protein before injecting viral RNA into human cells.

“Among the many efforts underway, a DARPin therapeutic that can neutralize multiple sites of the viral spike protein in a single drug could be an important tool in our fight against the virus,” Patrick Amstutz, PhD, CEO of Molecular Partners, said in the release.

Quick selection of a protein candidate is expected, with rapid progression to human trials to follow, according to Amstutz.

Molecular Partners’ DARPin platform has produced multiple candidate therapies for other indications, including abicipar pegol for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.