On May 14, 2020, BioSig Technologies announced that an article titled, “The IMPDH inhibitor merimepodib provided in combination with the adenosine analogue remdesivir reduces SARS-CoV-2 replication to undetectable levels in vitro” was published by F1000 Research, an online peer-reviewed life sciences journal publishing program in biology and medicine, while it is undergoing peer review.

This manuscript is authored by Natalya Bukreyeva, Rachel A. Sattler, Emily K. Mantlo, Timothy Wanninger, John T. Manning, Cheng Huang and Slobodan Paessler of the UTMB Galveston National Laboratory and Dr. Jerome Zeldis of ViralClear Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“ViralClear”) as a corresponding author.  The article highlights pre-clinical data generated under contract with Galveston National Laboratory at The University of Texas Medical Branch.

“The results of these laboratory investigations have strongly influenced our plans for the initial clinical trials of merimepodib. We have experimental evidence that merimepodib is active as monotherapy and in combination with remdesivir,” commented Jerome Zeldis, M.D., Ph.D,  Executive Chair and Co-Founder of ViralClear Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “Our first proposed COVID-19 trial is expected to be conducted in hospitalized patients who require supplemental oxygen and receive remdesivir as part of their standard of care.  Patients will be randomized to either placebo or merimepodib. In this manner, the potential synergy between merimepodib and remdesivir may be evaluated in the clinical setting.  An additional trial in the outpatient setting with just merimepodib is proposed to follow the initiation of the first trial.”