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Novartis COVID-19 Therapy Could Overcome Escape Variant Problem

Protein Therapeutic Enters Pivotal Trial

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

The DARPin candidate will not gain emergency approval before early 2022, but its likely ability to sustain efficacy regardless of SARS-CoV-2 mutations could be valuable as new variants emerge.

Novartis
Novartis is using a novel Phase II/III trial design to produce fast results in patients with early stage COVID-19 infections.

Novartis and Molecular Partners have begun a pivotal trial of novel therapy ensovibep (MP0420) to see if it can prevent people with early-stage COVID-19 from worsening symptoms and being hospitalized.

Ensovibep is a novel DARPin therapeutic, a new drug class which is being developed by Molecular Partners, a Switzerland-based biotech with which Novartis announced a collaboration last October.

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