On Jul. 20, 2020, Mateon Therapeutics announced the launch of its global observational study called ARTI-19, for Artemisinin Intervention against COVID-19, in partnership with Asili Research Alliance of Tanzania. ARTI19 is designed to rapidly establish the clinical efficacy of Artemisinin in mild and moderate COVID-19 patients. In-vitro, the medical grade version of the supplement has proven potency and safety similar to Remdesivir with an EC50 = 0.45 ug/ml and Safety Index = 140. If clinically proven effective, Artemisinin can provide relief to overwhelmed medical infrastructure and families affected by the pandemic in resource limited countries.

Asili is a group of scientists dedicated to improving health care equity in Tanzania. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asili marshaled its resources to conduct clinical studies of therapeutic remedies under the guidance of doctors and researchers at Tanzania’s premier research facility, The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). This observational study is led by renowned Dr. Amos Kahwa as Principal Investigator. He holds the position of senior research scientist at NIMR.

By targeting the host protein TGF-β that is essential for virus replication, Artemisinin may avoid future drug resistance mutations associated with the virus. By downregulating TGF-β, it can act as both an anti-viral and anti-lung damage agent. This potential mechanism of action is similar to the company’s leading drug candidate OT-101 which is also being developed as treatment for COVID-19 patients that need intensive medical care.