AzurRx BioPharma, Inc. a company specializing in the development of targeted non-systemic, recombinant therapies for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, announced the completion of site initiation visits and the addition of five (5) new clinical trial sites in Ukraine for the ongoing RESERVOIR Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating FW-1022 as a treatment for COVID-19-related gastrointestinal (GI) infections. FW-1022 is a proprietary oral tablet formulation of micronized niclosamide developed for the treatment of COVID-19-related GI infections.
The RESERVOIR clinical trial is designed as a two-part, two-arm, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study. The trial’s primary objectives are to confirm the safety of FW-1022 in the treatment of patients with COVID-19-related GI infections and to evaluate its efficacy in clearing SARS-CoV-2 from the GI tract. The primary efficacy measure of the RESERVOIR trial is the rate of fecal SARS-CoV-2 clearance (stool sample) assessed by RT-PCR, comparing the niclosamide arm to the placebo arm for up to six weeks. These long-term observation data could indicate that niclosamide treatment has the potential to improve “long haul” COVID-19 symptoms. Topline data from the study is anticipated during the first quarter of 2022.
“Niclosamide represents an important advance in the fight to help COVID-19 patients overcome the debilitating and often overlooked effect the virus can have on the GI system,” said James Sapirstein, Chairman, CEO and President of AzurRx BioPharma. “While vaccines have been delivered to millions of people, COVID-19, and, in particular, the highly infectious Delta variant, remains a significant concern, especially in regions of the U.S. and areas of the world where vaccination rates are low. The addition of new trial sites in Ukraine provides enhanced opportunity to enroll patients in a country where less than 5% of the population is fully vaccinated for COVID-19.”
“FW-1022 is an orally delivered, non-systemic formulation of niclosamide that is designed to deliver high concentrations of the drug directly to the GI tract,” said Dr. James Pennington, Chief Medical Officer of AzurRx BioPharma. “We believe these properties have the potential to decrease viral load and GI-associated symptoms of COVID and look forward to accelerating the progress of the RESERVOIR trial to, hopefully, introduce the first therapeutic specifically designed to treat COVID GI infections.”
The RESERVOIR trial is being managed by PPD, Inc., a leading global contract research organization (CRO). AzurRx is also developing a proprietary formulation of micronized niclosamide (FW-420) as a treatment for immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis.