On Jul. 27, 2020, Onconova Therapeutics announced that it had submitted an application with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, with the goal of obtaining funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct human studies with rigosertib in COVID-19 disease patients.

“Recent preclinical studies conducted with rigosertib demonstrate impressive inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero Cells when compared to controls including agents currently being administered and studied in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and provide the Company with optimism that further research in humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 is warranted,” said Steven M. Fruchtman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “While it is difficult to predict when the NIAID will consider the merits of rigosertib in this setting, a positive funding decision could allow Onconova to begin human studies in COVID-19 infected patients. As an oncology-focused company, Onconova does not currently intend to pursue clinical development in COVID-19 without additional sources of non-dilutive funding.”

“By modulating the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway involved in proliferative signaling, rigosertib may play an important role in inhibiting COVID-19 replication in human cells, specifically lung tissue, a primary source of serious disease,” said Richard C. Woodman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Onconova. “While our work in COVID-19 is in very early stages, Onconova believes it has an obligation to pursue these efforts given the impact of the pandemic on human health.”