Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to Launch Two Trials of Its COVID-19 Antiviral

Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in July will launch two phase 2 trials of its investigational antiviral EIDD-2801 as a potential COVID-19 treatment.

The Miami-based drugmaker said the antiviral has already demonstrated safety and shown promise in phase 1 studies. It plans to begin the large-scale confirmatory trials next month.

One trial will assess the antiviral in newly hospitalized patients who will receive either one or two oral doses of EIDD-2801 or a placebo twice daily for five days. The other will test the antiviral in newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients outside of a hospital setting.

Ridgeback said it has manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses and aims to produce as many as 1 million treatment courses by the fall.

The company has partnered with Merck to develop and commercialize the antiviral as a COVID-19 treatment. Merck will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the antiviral worldwide (DID, May 27). — Jordan Williams