On May 13, 2020, Catalent announced a collaboration with Ennaid Therapeutics to develop an oral, antiviral treatment targeted at COVID-19. Under the terms of the agreement, Catalent will develop a powder-in-capsule formulation of Ennaid’s ENU200 program, a patent-pending, repurposed oral antiviral drug.

ENU200 was selected by Ennaid as a candidate to treat COVID-19 following a bioinformatic search for in silico identification of prior-approved chemical compounds blocking the coronavirus proteins, spike-S glycoprotein and the key coronavirus enzyme, M^pro. Catalent’s development site at San Diego will manufacture roller-compacted formulations of ENU200 within capsules for further investigation.

Catalent’s San Diego facility is one of three global centers of excellence in early-phase development focusing on preclinical to clinical Phase 2b formulation, analytical, and manufacturing solutions for orally delivered small molecules, the other two being located in Somerset, New Jersey and Nottingham, U.K. The three strategically-located sites are closely connected to the company’s clinical supply services network, to optimize the transition from finished dose manufacture to clinical packaging and distribution.