On Jul. 8, 2020, Constant Therapeutics reported that its peptide drug TXA127 was tested in a series of Phase 2 clinical trials in hospitalized COVID-19 patients who are not in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The trials were conducted at medical centers in the U.S., including the Brigham and Womenﾒs Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna, Italy; and at sites in Israel affiliated with Bar-Ilan University and Technion Israel Institute of Technology. Over 400 patients were expected to be recruited.

Previous reports show that the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 down-regulates the activity of the enzyme. This leads to a loss of angiotensin-(1-7), the active ingredient in TXA127, and thus a loss in the downstream activity of the peptide. “We hope that by replacing the peptide with TXA127, the protective nature of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis will be restored,” says Dr. Franklin.

In preclinical models of acute lung injury, TXA127 has been shown to reduce fibrosis, stabilize endothelial and epithelial barrier function and reduce inflammation.