Inflammation plays an important role in many virus-induced diseases. Viral induced hyperinflammation is associated with respiratory insufficiency, as seen in viral infections such as Influenza and COVID-19, where infected patients evolve hyperinflammation in the lungs, but also in other viral infections, that primary affects other organ or where the inflammation relates to more systemic effects.
Arboviral infections are caused by a group of viruses spread to people by the bite of infected arthropods (insects) such as mosquitoes and ticks. Arboviral infections are no longer exclusive to the Global South but are going to become more common also in the Global North.
With a host-directed approach the aim is to treat the infected patients with resomelagon to help their own immune system to resolve the inflammation caused by the viruses. Thus, it is not anticipated that resomelagon will prevent infections, but that the treatment will mediate a milder disease outcome.
RESOVIR Collaboration
To investigate the potential for resomelagon (AP1189) in treatment of virus infections, we formed the RESOVIR (Resolution Therapy for Viral Inflammation Research) collaboration.
RESOVIR is a scientific and clinical collaboration between Professor Mauro Teixeira, MD, PhD, Universidade Federal de Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Professor Mauro Perretti, PhD William Heavy Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University, London, UK, and SynAct Pharma.
The RESOVIR collaboration focus on the potential of resomelagon as an add-on to current treatment in viral disorders, where the immune system has reacted with excessive inflammation and being out of balance.
Preclinical in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, have demonstrated effect of resomelagon (AP1189). This includes animal models of SIDS, where resomelagon have been shown to selectively reduce inflammation and stimulate macrophages to clean-up the inflamed tissue. Models of viral infection and clinical studies are also performed as a part of the RESOVIR collaboration, including the phase 2 studies RESOVIR-1 and RESOVIR-2.