Abivax to Begin Testing Experimental Colitis Drug for Covid-19

(Bloomberg) -- French biotech Abivax SA joined the race to find a treatment for the new coronavirus, saying its leading experimental medicine will be tested on about 1,000 high-risk Covid-19 patients in coming months.

The drug, under development to treat ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, blocked the new coronavirus’s ability to replicate in lab experiments, Paris-based Abivax said in an emailed statement. Research also indicates the medicine, called ABX464, can quell excess inflammation -- a feature of severe Covid-19 cases -- and promote tissue healing, according to Abivax.

The biotechnology company is joining a crowded field that includes pharma giants like Novartis AG, Sanofi and Gilead Sciences Inc. Only Gilead’s antiviral remdesivir has shown in rigorous clinical trials that it can help modestly against the pandemic virus: Patients who received intravenous infusion recovered in 11 days, on average, while those who got a placebo took 15 days.

The state-owned investment firm BPI France is in talks to shoulder the funding for the Abivax trial and back an effort to bring production of the drug to about 1 million doses ahead of a possible regulatory clearance.

“It would be silly to wait for the results to decide to hit the button on the scaling up,” Chairman Philippe Pouletty said by telephone. “The bet Abivax is making is that this will lead to a marketing authorization.”

The study will randomly assign patients to receive either daily doses of Abivax’s drug or a placebo to see whether the treatment reduces the need for assisted ventilation or helps avert deaths.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.