On Aug. 20, 2020, GT Biopharma and Cytovance announced a collaboration agreement whereby Cytovance will providing drug development services to assist the GT Biopharma with its TriKEﾙ therapeutic for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. The TriKEﾙ COVID-19 therapeutic is designed to seek out and kill Novel Coronavirus 2019 virus infected cells before the release of additional virus particles from such infected cells. The ability of the TriKE™ therapeutic to direct the immune system’s Natural Killer (NK) cells to target and eliminate distressed cells is a key part of the therapeutic strategy.

GT Biopharma and Cytovance® Biologics, a USA-based contract development and manufacturing company and a member of the Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group of companies, have entered into a collaboration agreement whereby Cytovance is providing drug development services to assist the GT Biopharma with itss TriKE™ therapeutic for the treatment of COVID-19 infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus infection produces devastating viral pneumonia. Pathologic changes are most prominent in the lungs, with disruptions of the pulmonary epithelial cells in gas exchange areas and conducting airways. It has been reported that the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor is the main host cell receptor targeted by the 2019-nCoV virus, and plays a crucial role in the entry of virus into the cell.