On Jun. 22, 2020, Catalent announced that it is partnering with ViralClear Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of BioSig Technologies, to develop two oral dosage forms of ViralClear’s broad-spectrum anti-viral agent, merimepodib, as a possible treatment for adults with COVID-19.

Under the terms of the agreement, ViralClear will determine whether the anti-viral agent will work as a standalone treatment or in combination with other anti-viral agents or immune modulators, a Catalent press release said. Catalent will manufacture the oral solution for clinical studies at its St. Petersburg, FL, facility while studying additional liquid-filled oral formulations.

“Finding treatments for the pandemic we are faced with is a global priority, and, as a world leader in softgel development and manufacturing, Catalent is ideally suited to work on this program with ViralClear,” added Dr. Aris Gennadios, president, Softgel and Oral Technologies, Catalent. “Our expertise and more than 85 years of experience in lipid-based formulation will facilitate rapid clinical manufacturing and provide drug product that can be tested against the threat the virus poses as soon as possible.”