Nanoviricides Platform Technology based NV-387 polymer Protects Remdesivir from Plasma-Mediated Catabolism in vitro: Importance of its increased lifetime for in vivo action

As of today seven coronaviruses were identified to infect humans, out of which only 4 of them belongs to beta family of coronavirus, like HCoV-HKU1, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. SARS family of viruses were known to cause severe respiratory disease in humans. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes pandemic COVID-19 disease with high morbidity and mortality. Remdesivir (RDV) is the only antiviral drug so far approved for Covid-19 therapy by FDA. However it’s efficacy is limited in vivo due to it’s low stability in presence of Plasma. Here we show the stability of RDV encapsulated with our platform technology based polymer NV-387 (NV-CoV-2-R), in presence of Plasma in vitro in comparison to naked RDV when incubated in plasma. The potential use of this polymer in vivo will be discussed, here.

COVID-19 was declared as a global pandemic on 11 March 2020, by the WHO, however, the evidence for therapies against this virus is as yet inadequate. Various medical teams are prescribing drugs for this collection of ailments based on some mechanistic data but with limited clinical findings in support of their activity.  also measured to justify the RDV breakdown. For comparison we used commercially available Gilead Remdesivir, and as a negative control we used vehicle (DMSO:MeOH, 1:9). Here we report our results.

1.7: Calculation of RDV and GS-441524 from the chromatogram:
The ratio of RDV and its isotope, 13 C 6 -ISTD (as an internal standard) was calculated. Similarly, the ratio of GS and its internal standard, 13 C 5 -ISTD was also calculated. From that ratio, the amount of RDV and GS were determined using the linear equation derived from their respective standard curve.
The values were normalized using the Dilution factor (2 x 20 x 4=160) used for Original Plasma sample.

Results and Discussion:
1: Standard Curve of RDV and GS-441524 (Table-2 (Table-3 and also by protecting RDV more than that of Gilead-RDV, renders RDV effectiveness against virus. Further, potential mutations in the virus are unlikely to enable it to escape these drug candidates.

Comparative analysis of RDV breakdown and GS-441524 production by the above test materials in presence of Rat Plasma, in vitro.
Further, we have already scaled up production of key portions to multi-kilogram scales. We are now initiating an animal model study to finalize two to three best candidates for further testing. We intend to perform certain animal model safety studies, in order to further advance the final candidate for limited human clinical (compassionate) use scenario. This is the fastest timeframe that a drug candidate truly directed at the SARS-CoV-2 has been developed by any Company to date (https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/nanoviricides-develops-highly-effectivebroad-spectrum-drug-candidates-against-coronaviruses-2020-05-12. Nanoviricides

Conclusions:
It is needless to say that in the present days, rapid design & construction, as well as synthesis and manufacture of anti SARS-CoV-2 has a crying need. Although our approach are very potential for the COVID-19 therapy, but we have been limited to studying effectiveness against available BSL2 level strains of coronaviruses, as they do not cause the severe pathology in humans. No other drug currently available in the 11 development for SARS-CoV-2 virus in the USA, be it antibody, small chemical, or otherwise, has been tested against any coronaviruses at present, to the best of our knowledge.
We are in contact with USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) and Robert Davey at NIEDL in Boston, for testing against SARS-CoV-2 itself. We have not received back a Materials Transfer Agreement to enable initiating these studies. Meanwhile its report to scientific community as well as to the common people for their attention and assistance in furthering this endeavor, to contribute to the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and position to win the fight.

Conflict of Interests: Author, Anil Diwan, was employed by the company
Nanoviricides, Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Authors' contribution: All the authors contributed equally to prepare this article, read and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgement:
We acknowledge all our colleagues, Secretaries for their help during the preparation of the manuscript by providing all the relevant information. Thanks to Ms. Bethany Pond for her editorial assistant. Funds are from Nanoviricide, Inc. company and they are here-by acknowledged.
Ethical Statement: Not applicable A nanoviricide "looks like" a human cell to the virus. Nanoviricide is large enough for a virus particle to latch onto it, however, it is yet small enough to circulate readily in the body. Rather than a virus particle entering into a nanoviricide, a nanoviricide wraps around the virus particle and encapsulate it, by using the virus particle's very same ability to enter a cell. Viral resistance to the Nanoviricide drug is unlikely because even as the virus mutates, it still binds to the same cell surface receptor(s), in the same fashion.