Alberta-based biotech company collaborates with Australian research institute to take fight to COVID-19

A Calgary biotech company explores new published evidence of Apabetalone’s beneficial effects on COVID-19.

Calgary — A medical research institute in Australia has published a new article providing evidence that the drug Apabetalone has potential benefits for COVID-19 patients and a Calgary biotech company is using those findings to showcase its therapeutic use to fight the virus.

Resverlogix and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute embarked on a collaborative COVID-19 research program to repurpose the drug, Apabetalone, to help reduce infection and prevent cardiac dysfunction.

“What we are doing is stopping it from reproducing,” said Donald McCaffrey, CEO of Resverlogix. “Taking out the ability for COVID-19 to replicate in our lab tests have shown that within 48 hours you absolutely terminate COVID-19.”

The data from Australia showed that the heart would be protected. There will also be new data, in a future publication, that shows the lungs will be protected as well.

“If a patient has COVID, if they take the drug we believe that multiple organs would be protected,” said Dr. Ewelina Kulikowski, Senior Vice President.

Kulikowski says “this could be a drug that could be taken at the beginning of a COVID diagnosis and hopefully prevent spread through the rest of the body.”

The clinical drug application will go to Health Canada next week.

Find out more about the research HERE.