Candidate: GX-I7, also known as NT-17 or Hyleukin-7™ (rhIL-7-hyFc)
Type: Homeostatic T cell growth factor composed of a covalently linked homodimer of engineered Interleukin-7 (IL-7) molecule, biologically fused with the proprietary long-acting platform – hyFc™. GX-I7 is designed to amplify and enhance the number of T cells that occupy most of the lymphocytes, reinvigorating persistent T cell immunity by increasing the lymphocyte count of patients.
Status: Genexine said June 11 that its U.S. affiliate NeoImmuneTech (NIT) received FDA approval to conduct Phase I clinical trials assessing GX-I7 as a treatment for adults with mild COVID-19. The Phase I studies aim to establish the safety and appropriate dosing of GX-I7, with the goal of preventing severe COVID-19 progression in people most susceptible to infection, such as seniors or those with comorbidities.
The NIH’s National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and University of Nebraska Medical Center will partner with NIT on the Phase I studies given their expertise in developing and establishing standard antiviral treatments, Genexine said.
GX-17 is in development for numerous other indications, including glioblastoma, triple negative breast cancer, various solid tumors, and various high risk skin cancers.
COVID-19: 200 Candidates and Counting
To navigate through the >200 potential therapeutic and vaccine options for COVID-19, GEN has grouped the candidates into four broad categories based on their developmental and (where applicable) clinical progress:
● FRONT RUNNER – the most promising therapeutics/vaccines based on clinical progress, favorable data or both.
● DEFINITELY MAYBE – earlier phases with promising partners, or more advanced candidates in development that have generated uneven data.
● KEEPING AN EYE ON… – interesting technology, attracting notable partners, or both, but preliminary data.
● TOO SOON TO TELL – longshots pending additional experimental and/or clinical data.
GEN has also tagged the most common treatment types:
● ANTIVIRAL
● VAX
● ANTIBODY
● RNA
