Skymount Medical, a drug discovery company, and Louisiana State University (LSU) announced that human studies have begun on its unique combination of therapies, known as SM-19, for COVID-19 patients. In vitro (cell) and in vivo (animal) assays conducted by the IIT Research Institute (IITRI) in Chicago showed significant efficacy in reducing the viral load of the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

The therapeutics were discovered using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that drastically reduces the time to drug discovery. The AI predicted up to 97 per cent efficacy, which was confirmed by pre-clinical cell and animal results. The medications being investigated are already FDA approved for other conditions, which will greatly accelerate the time for SM-19 to become widely available.

At this time, there are no approved oral medications to reduce COVID-19 symptoms in people who are not hospitalized. The SM-19 treatment was designed to be effective against several COVID-19 variants, decreases viral load, and reduces the duration of symptoms.

The approach is to treat adult patients at the first sign of infection to avoid hospitalization and eliminate ICU visits. The compassionate use studies began in Europe and are expected to continue throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, India and Brazil.

"Early animal testing was very promising. We are optimistic that the treatments will reduce extreme symptoms in humans and the need for hospitalizations," states Dr. Kishor M. Wasan, co-inventor and chief medical and scientific officer (CMO/CSO) for Skymount Medical. "These experimental outcomes provide a complementary approach to the current COVID-19 vaccine strategy that is cost-effective, safe, and accessible to patients."

Dr. Wasan is also a Distinguished University Scholar Adjunct Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is co-director and co-founder of the Neglected Global Diseases Initiative at UBC.

"The discovery of these medications came through a highly unique and novel process fusing AI with traditional wet lab pharmacology," said Chris Galliano, co-inventor and chief technology officer of Skymount Medical. "The LSU DeepDrug team's AI-based drug discovery platform has enabled us to target viral entry, fusion, and replication and directly address symptoms using a time-saving drug repurposing strategy."