Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (CNSX: RVV, OTCMKTS: RVVTF) received additional positive indications on their oral drug for mild/moderate COVID, currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial. In a report titled Thiol drugs decrease SARS-CoV-2 lung injury in vivo and disrupt SARS-CoV-2 spike complex binding to ACE2 in vitro from the University of California, San Francisco, the paper highlighted how thiol-based drugs—such as Bucillamine—can disrupt the Delta variant in vitro as well as reduce SARS-CoV-2-related lung injury in hamster models. We invited resident Revive expert, moderator and Clinical Trial Manager, Biomedical_trader, to give us his assessment on what this all means.
To start the Tuesday session, the bid on Revive Therapeutics was looking robust. Trading up as high as 8.14% in the opening five minutes, the stock encountered profit taking before attempting to make a second run at the day’s high in the early afternoon. Volume exceeded 7-digits for the second consecutive day, although price finished flat to close the session.
While the end price outcome perhaps did not match the strength of the news, this might have been caused by some over-interpretation by investors. The paper eluded to “any antiviral activity (regarding thiol drugs) in vivo in hamsters or in humans will require direct delivery to the airways to achieve needed drug concentrations in the lungs,” which some perhaps interpreted that a reformulation was needed.
But as Biomedical_trader assured investors, any reformulation does not apply to the current mild/moderate patient target in the current Phase 3 trial—and is in fact—geared towards acute cases of severe illness:
Shadd Dales: There was some talk about reformulating Bucillamine to get the maximum anti-viral effect. Saying that, is that a cause for concern in the current trial that’s going on?
Biomedical_Trader: Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about this trial because we’re looking at mild to moderate patients. In those patients—especially in otherwise healthy patients—where I think we’re going to see a lot of the efficacy, you have an active immune system. And actually that active immune system is what can turn against you here.
Overall, the paper provided additional strong indications that thiol-based drugs are effective antidotes to COVID-based illness. Bucillamine is the only such drug being studied in a Phase 3 trial for COVID to date.
Click on the embedded link for more of our informative and fascinating interview with Biomedical_trader, in his own words.
To view our previous interview with Biomedical_trader, click here.
