While we wait , I thought we might actually gain a insight from a review of the chronological series of announcements since the beginnings of MPL and MPLS COVID-19 discussions and highly prospective treatment applications and possibilities :-
17 April 2020
PharmAust Limited (ASX
AA), a clinical-stage oncology company, is pleased to advise that it has entered into a Materials Transfer Agreement with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (“WEHI”) in Melbourne, Victoria, to test the effects of monepantel on COVID-19 infections.
The studies will be conducted by WEHI researcher Professor Marc Pellegrini (MBBS BSc FRACP PhD FAHMS). Professor Pellegrini is joint head of the Institute’s Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence division and an infectious disease clinician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He is the recipient of an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Excellence Award for his work on chronic infections.
PharmAust’s Executive Chairman Dr Roger Aston said, “ We are delighted to be working with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research on this timely and important project and delighted that Professor Marc Pellegrini has agreed to be the Investigator”.
PharmAust’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr Richard Mollard stated, “The studies will commence shortly and WEHI aims to provide a preliminary data summary in May 2020.”
June 4, 2020( 7 weeks later )
Preliminary clinical work by PharmAust ( ASX : PAA ) on the effects of its lead candidate monepantel and monepantel sulfone on cells infected with COVID-19 has demonstrated potential suppression of the virus by up to 95%.
They demonstrated that monepantel and monepantel sulfone can reduce the capacity of the virus to replicate and mature into infectious virus particles.
Of note, relatively low concentrations of monepantel were found to block the infectious capacity of the virus in tissue culture
Based on the latest findings,
PharmAusthas made moves to broaden and extend its intellectual propertyin the area of anti-viral activity through the filing of a patent application specifically covering monepantel in the treatment of the virus.
I wonder if any patents have now been GRANTED .....
18 June 2020 ( 2 weeks later )
Discussions are now underway with the institute to explore the significance of this work, including a comparison to a similar drug rapamycin and current anti-viral drugs authorised by the FDA for emergency use to treat COVID-19, such as remdesivir.
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researcher Professor Marc Pellegrini describes MPL's and MPLS' anti-viral profiles as encouraging.
" These exciting repeat results validate the results of the initial test and form strong grounds for progressing the drug to the next step," says Pellegrini.
Demonstrating twice that infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles can be suppressed by up to approximately 95 per cent in cell cultures is a remarkable outcome.
The company will now prepare an Executive Summary and an Investigator's Brochure to permit discussions with clinicians about a Phase I trial in a small number of human patients to treat COVID-19.
" We ( " WEHI ' ) intend to continue collaborating with PharmAust with preclinical experimentation to support their progress. "
PAA shares were up 27 per cent at $0.14each at 12:19am AEST.
24 June 2020 ( 1 week later ) = Shareholder GENERAL update
13 July 2020 ( 2 weeks later ) = Final Report delivered to Elanco under Options Agreement
?? AUGUST 2020 ( ? Weeks later )
So while some are under the belief that shareholders are ' starved ' of information flow , I prefer to believe on the other hand that the ' seeds ' have well and truly been sown and the ' WEHI wheels ' are in motion. And given that it was 7 weeks from the original announcement of 17th April to what was supposed to be an update in May and which ended up 4th June 2020.
So might we expect it to be a similar timeframe of around 7 weeks from the June18th / June 24th announcements with more or less the next progress report from WEHI , or the anticipated partnering arrangements with potential clinicians for the Phase 1 trials in relation to small number of humans with COVID-19.
If it holds true again , it could very well be this week or the following week with a followup announcement. Either way , I would fully expect further critical news by no later than the end of August , and so would like always expect the Share Price to rally ahead of this anticipated news.....
(20min delay)
