Sorento Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:SRNE) has announced the discovery of a small molecule called Salicyn 30. The small molecule showed a strong 3-4 log reduction in COVID-19 virus infection following an in vitro virus infection trial.
Sorento repurposing salicylanilide compounds for COVID-19 management
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the company has developed a program that targets the whole continuum of care for the management of COVID-19, which includes early treatment, rescue therapies, and prevention. Sorento believes that having multi-modal therapies will follow the approval of effective therapies irrespective of the individual drug’s potential.
Through a drug repurposing approach, the company has been searching for compounds that will synergistically complement its antibody program. As a result, they screened various salicylanilide compounds showing potential from a collection of molecules developed after chemical scaffolding. According to preclinical studies and comparative data generated so far, Salicyn-30 has shown to be effective compared to another salicylanilide called niclosamide. Niclosamide recently entered clinical studies where it is being evaluated for its effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2. Sorento’s presumption in examining a salicylanilide collection for COVID-19 is based on the concept that repurposing of drugs can be time and cost-effective with high returns and low risks.
Scilex reports QoQ sales growth for ZTlido®
Sorrento’s majority-owned subsidiary Scliex Holding Company has reported continuous ZTlido® QoQ sales growth in 2020. The subsidiary expects Q3 2002 net sales for ZTlido® to jump 26% to around $7.2MM relative to $5.5MM reported in Q2 2020. It is important to note that the preliminary Q3 2020 net sales estimate is based on the company’s current projections and could change.
Scilex Holding is currently evaluating SEMDEXA™ (SP-102) in a pivotal third phase clinical study in treating lumbosacral radicular pain/sciatica patients in the US. The company expects to complete registration in the trial in Q4 2020 to release topline data expected in Q2 2021. Scilex is planning to use the results from the trail to engage US health authorities based on the FDA’s license application for this unmet need indication.
