National Treasure Investment Firm Redhill Demonstrates Anticancer Effects of Oral COVID-19 Treatment Under Development

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] RedHill Biopharma, a US/Israel biotechnology company in which Kospi-listed Kukbo Co., Ltd. has acquired shares, announced on the 26th that the combination therapy of Opaganib and RHB-107 (Upamostat), oral COVID-19 treatments under development, demonstrated tumor regression in cholangiocarcinoma, and that clinical data-based research results were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Kukbo announced on the 8th that it had acquired shares in RedHill and was granted the exclusive negotiation rights for distribution rights contracts, responsible not only for domestic distribution of RedHill’s oral COVID-19 treatments but also for distribution in major Asian regions.

The oral COVID-19 treatment RHB-107 (Upamostat) is an oral therapy targeting mild COVID-19 patients and is currently in clinical phases 2/3, with patient recruitment for phase 2 recently completed. Opaganib is an oral treatment for severe COVID-19 patients, which has revealed clinical results showing a 62% reduction in mortality among severe patients compared to those receiving standard treatments (remdesivir or dexamethasone) and an improved average time to discharge.

Opaganib demonstrated dual anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities targeting sphingolipid components and proved to be a selective sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) inhibitor, potentially minimizing the possibility of viral resistance.

Danielle T. Abramson, Vice President of RedHill, stated, “It is increasingly clear that cancer depends on multiple altered molecular pathways and can develop various resistance mechanisms to single-agent therapies,” adding, “This confirms RedHill’s high technological capabilities not only in COVID-19 treatments but also in anticancer therapies.”

Meanwhile, RedHill Biopharma is a Nasdaq-listed company based in the United States, an emerging specialized biopharmaceutical company focused on new drug development in the US. It currently commercializes and sells three FDA-approved products: Movantic, Talicia, and Aemcolo, and is developing six new drugs including oral COVID-19 treatments, with multiple pipelines in phases 2 and 3.