首款治疗重症新冠感染药物：以色列MesenCure显示出良好前景

Summary: An Israeli public company said it has developed the only treatment for late-stage COVID, saying the results of its Phase 2 clinical trial, first announced to Fox News, showed that patients with severe COVID-19 had a 94% survival rate using their treatment.

Bonus BioGroup said it gave MesenCure cell therapy to 50 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with life-threatening pneumonia and respiratory distress, noting that 47 of the patients survived.

Bronshtein said a recent Phase 2 clinical trial at several medical centers in Israel showed MesenCure could save three-quarters of people at risk of death and cut their hospital stay in half. He said this would speed healing, reduce permanent tissue damage and lower the risk of long-term COVID-19 infection.

The company noted that among the first 30 participants in the clinical trial, 2 patients who also had severe cases and were similar in age and comorbidities were selected as controls who did not receive MesenCure.

After analyzing the data, the company found that MesenCure reduced mortality in severe COVID-19 patients by about 70% compared to a control group. The company also noted that about half of patients with severe COVID-19 treated with MesenCure were discharged from the hospital on the first day after treatment ended.

Bronshtein explained that MesenCure is a drug made from living cells, noting that once these cells are injected into the patient's body and reach the lungs, they populate the inflammation and begin secreting molecules and compounds that relieve inflammation. Furthermore, it reduces pneumonia and edema, helping patients regain their ability to breathe.

Bonus BioGroup believes that there is a need to provide treatment options for hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 because the new coronavirus vaccine can reduce but not completely prevent COVID-19 infection and severe disease. Vaccination can also reduce the number of drugs used to treat mild COVID-19 at home, but cannot prevent hospitalization and severe disease.

Currently, MesenCure is only available to severely ill COVID-19 patients in Israel on a compassionate basis.

In August 2021, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Ministry of Health had approved the expansion of the use of MesenCure, and that 15 of 17 severe COVID-19 patients were discharged from the hospital on the first day after receiving the last dose of MesenCure treatment.

Bronshtein said that based on the results of the Phase 2 clinical trial, Bonus BioGroup is seeking emergency use authorization for the drug (starting in Israel), while the company continues to conduct the Phase 3 study.

"We hope that following approval in Israel, MesenCure therapy will be more readily accepted in the United States and Europe," Bronshtein said.

References:

https://www.foxnews.com/health/israeli-covid-19-drug-late-stage-coronavirus-treatment