Much of the morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 infection is thought to be the result of an overly zealous attack by the immune system (e.g., cytokine storm and IL-6 elevations) as it attempts to counteract the viral infection. Some drugs with immunomodulatory effects (e.g., dexamethasone, tocilizumab) have been shown to reduce virus-induced cytokine storms and key pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6.~EOM613 is a peptide nucleic acid with novel immune-modulating properties, including modulation of IL-6 expression. It has an excellent safety profile and has yielded promising therapeutic results in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), cancer cachexia and severe rheumatoid arthritis. EOM613 was reported to have antiviral activity in cell cultures inoculated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or adenovirus. This proof-of-concept study is the first clinical trial of EOM613 in patients with COVID-19 infection.~This study will include two cohorts of hospitalized patients, non-ICU and ICU. In non-ICU patients, EOM613 is to be administered subcutaneously (SC) at a dose of 2 mL once daily (QD) for 10 days, for a total of 20 mL. In ICU patients, EOM613 is to be administered SC at a dose of 2 mL twice daily (BID) for 5 days followed by 2 mL QD for 5 days, for a total of 30 mL.~The primary objective and outcome measures include assessment of safety and tolerability of EOM613, based on clinical laboratory, physical exams, and assessment of adverse events (AEs). The secondary objectives and outcome measures are 1) The proportions of non-ICU patients discharged with and without progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or ICU; 2) The proportion of ICU patients who die, are discharged to the infirmary, or discharged from the hospital; and 3) Assessment of levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in Cytokine Panel 13, and their correlations with primary and secondary endpoints.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of EOM613, a peptide nucleic acid with novel immune-modulating properties, in treating patients with severe COVID-19 infections. This proof-of-concept study is the first clinical trial of EOM613 in this patient population.