Algernon Pharmaceuticals Gets Go-Ahead for Phase 3 COVID-19 Study

Vancouver-based Algernon Pharmaceuticals plans to conduct a late-stage study to evaluate an orally delivered drug, NP-120 (ifenprodil), as a COVID-19 treatment.

The drug was originally developed in the 1990s by Sanofi to treat peripheral circulatory disorders and it is still used in generic form in Japan.

Participants in the phase 3 study will receive either standard of care, standard of care plus ifenprodil 60 mg or standard of care plus ifenprodil 120 mg.

The researchers hope to determine whether the drug improves blood oxygen levels and reduces mortality as well as time spent in an intensive care unit.