R&D associated with COVID-19
The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) community has numerous companies engaged in research and development associated with COVID-19.
Additionally, scientists with the nonprofit Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, which manages the PABC, are working on several projects that show promise for preventing and treating COVID-19.
Timothy M. Block, Ph.D., president of both the institute and PABC, says Blumberg scientists are conducting research with a drug candidate they developed years ago to determine if it could be an effective treatment for COVID-19.
"We have been working on antiviral drugs for two decades at Blumberg," Block said. "Our focus has been hepatitis B, liver cancer and other cancers, but some of the drugs we have discovered appear to have activity against other viruses."
The list below represents the work at PABC associated with COVID-19.
Bixi Life Sciences LLC The Blumberg institute, which is the "translational research engine" of the PABC, has redirected two promising approaches that are being developed with Bixi Life Sciences.
Iminovirs: Initially being developed for other viruses, these were reported to have activity against the SARS-1 virus. We received word from the NIH that our lead iminosugar is active against SARS-1. Based on how it works, it seems likely it will have activity against SARS-CoV-2. This is being tested in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Peptides that block SARS-CoV-2 entry also are being investigated. A scientist who was joining the Blumberg labs to work on liver cancer peptide blockers will now, along with that work, use this technology to produce small protein SARS-CoV-2 binding drugs that act like “mini-antibodies.” This approach has worked for Ebola, and we will determine if it works for SARS-CoV-2.
Evrys Bio Evrys stands for “every virus” reflecting the company’s long-term vision to develop a panel of products collectively offering coverage for use against any viral infection, currently known or newly emerging. The company’s innovative technology platform harnesses and unleashes the body’s native defense system to address multiple viral infections simultaneously while providing a high barrier to drug resistance.
For example, Evrys is developing a pan-respiratory virus antiviral that is effective against influenza A and B, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, and coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Infection by any of one of these viruses can cause “influenza-like illness” and lead to the more serious severe acute respiratory infection. A broad-spectrum antiviral-drug like Evrys’ pan-respiratory virus antiviral can be stock-piled, is easily scaled in manufacturing, and will have the effect of “flattening the curve” during the next respiratory virus pandemic.
FlowMetric FlowMetric’s SARS-CoV-2 IgG serology tests will enable employers to formulate safe & effective "Return to Work" initiatives for their workforce. Our serology tests provide a simple easy to read report showing whether an individual has generated IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The presence of these antibodies is highly indicative of past exposure and will be useful information for informed decision making on how to safely return employees to the workplace.
Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center The center, which has laboratory operations at PABC, has developed drug candidates that work well against certain RNA viruses such as Ebola Virus, and intends to extend much of this research to target SARS-CoV-2
Tiziana Life Sciences Tiziana Life Sciences intends to accelerate the development of hand-held nebulizer inhalation technology to deliver stable aerosols of TZLS-501 (anti-IL-6R mAb) and potentially other antiviral drugs such as remdesivir directly to lungs to treat COVID-19.
For more about the Blumberg Institute's relevant research, or to support those efforts, please visit the Blumberg's COVID-19 page.
About the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center: The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County is a non-profit offering state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to research and biotech companies. It was named as one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators in a 2018 study by the International Business Innovation Association. Established by the Hepatitis B Foundation and managed by the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the Center was funded in part by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The facility opened in 2006 in an unused warehouse and has since grown to encompass 110,000 square feet on a 10-acre campus. To learn more, visit www.pabiotechbc.org.