On Sept. 8, 2020, RedHill Biopharma announced that opaganib demonstrated potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, achieving complete blockage of viral replication in an in vitro model of human lung bronchial tissue. Opaganib is a first-in-class, orally-administered, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor with dual anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activity that targets a host cell component, unaffected by viral mutation, thus minimizing the likelihood of resistance.

Opaganib was being evaluated in global Phase 2/3 and U.S. Phase 2 clinical studies for the treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia.