NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE:NNVC) rose in Monday trading.
Nanoviricides recently reported significant advantages gained by remdesivir encapsulation within its lead COVID-19 candidate.
In a news release last Wednesday, the Shelton, Conn.-based drug company revealed that almost double the amount of remdesivir remained intact in plasma when given as the encapsulated NV-CoV-2-R form, in comparison to the standard remdesivir formulation made in betadex sulfobutyl ether sodium (SBECD), during the first day of dosing in a rat pharmacokinetics study. Additionally, remdesivir accumulation was observed on repeated dosing of NV-CoV-2-R.
After the fifth dose of NV-CoV-2-R (on day seven), in comparison to the standard remdesivir dosing pattern (twice on day one followed by daily thereafter; on day seven), the circulating level of intact remdesivir in plasma was 75% greater in the NV-Cov-2-R group as compared to the standard remdesivir group.
The data were normalized to reflect the same amount of remdesivir given to the animals per kg body weight for uniform comparison. The assays were performed using the well-established isotopic internal standard method of remdesivir estimation with LCMS detection.
NV-CoV-2-R was found to be less toxic than the standard remdesivir formulation in this study. At day seven, when a total of 80mg/kg remdesivir was dosed in the standard formulation, the body weight loss was approximately 9.5% in male and 9.5% in female animals.
In contrast, when 80mg/kg of remdesivir was delivered as NV-CoV-2-R encapsulated formulation, at day seven, the weight loss was only approximately 3% in male animals and 1% in female animals which was the same as with the vehicle treatment reflecting injection trauma itself and no drug toxicity.
NNVC shares gained 19 cents, or 3.8%, to $5.27
