Rhizen Pharmaceuticals Announces US FDA Acceptance of its IND Application for RP7214 in SARS-CoV-2 Infection; Phase 1 Clinical Trial of RP7214 Set to Begin Early December 2020
1.12.2020 18:01:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Rhizen Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage oncology-focussed biopharmaceutical company, today announced the approval of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to study its oral DHODH inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The company announced that initial study shall evaluate single ascending doses of RP7214 in healthy volunteers and that dosing is expected to commence in early December 2020. The company also announces positive feedback from the FDA during its pre-IND discussion on its plans to follow-up this study with a multiple-ascending dose study in Covid-19 patients.
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHOHD) is a key enzyme involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis in the cell. RP7214 is potentially a best-in-class selective DHODH inhibitor that has shown potent inhibition of Covid-19 viral replication. RP7214 has also been studied extensively across multiple inflammation models where it has demonstrated excellent anti-inflammatory activity. Further, the IND-enabling preclinical studies have shown RP7214 to be orally available, safe and tolerable with predictable dose-linear pharmacokinetics. The host-based mechanism of RP7214 could allow complementary combinations with direct acting anti-viral drugs, while the broad anti-inflammatory action could potentially mitigate the cytokine mediated inflammatory symptoms typically seen in SARS-CoV-2 & other viral infections.
Swaroop Vakkalanka, President & CEO of Rhizen Pharmaceuticals said “There is an exceptional need for oral antiviral drugs that are suitable for Covid-19 treatment across all hospital and out-patient settings. We are pleased to advance RP7214 into a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of Covid-19 under a US FDA IND. RP7214 has a unique preclinical profile, high oral bioavailability, robust anti-viral potency and broad anti-inflammatory role, that we expect will translate in the clinic and support its eventual development as a potential treatment for Covid-19”.
About Rhizen Pharmaceuticals S.A.:
Rhizen Pharmaceuticals is an innovative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel onco-therapeutics. Since its establishment in 2008, Rhizen has created a diverse pipeline of proprietary drug candidates targeting several cancers and immune associated cellular pathways. Rhizen is headquartered in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. For additional information, please visit www.rhizen.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201201005815/en/
Contact information
Samyukta Bhagwati
Manager, Corporate Affairs & Communications
Rhizen Pharmaceuticals S.A.
Telephone: +41 32 580 0113
Email: corpcomm@rhizen.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. to Webcast Capital Markets Experience: China Ecosystem Immersion Presentations on November 4, 202621.10.2026 19:48:00 EEST | Press release
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced that it will webcast presentations from its Capital Markets Experience: China Ecosystem Immersion in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The event will feature presentations from Stéphane de La Faverie, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Akhil Shrivastava, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, as well as members of the Company’s Executive Leadership Team and local leaders. The presentations will highlight the Company’s strategy and capabilities in China, Beauty Reimagined in action, and how China serves as a blueprint for deploying the Company’s global capabilities to drive sustainable growth and stronger profitability. Due to limited capacity, in-person attendance is by invitation only. Interested parties can access the live webcast on Wednesday, November 4th, beginning at 1:00 p.m. China Standard Time (12:00 a.m. ET) at Investors – The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. A replay of the webcast wi
Future Health and Bridge for Billions to Launch Programme Strengthening Health Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets21.10.2026 18:50:00 EEST | Press release
Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi and Bridge for Billions will launch a new entrepreneurship programme designed to strengthen promising health ventures in emerging markets and help locally-developed solutions reach more people. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021719421/en/ The first phase of the programme will target around 50 entrepreneurs leading late-incubation to early-acceleration ventures in Africa and Asia. Emerging markets are home to significant health needs and entrepreneurial potential, yet many promising ventures can struggle to access the capital, specialist guidance, and health-system connections required to grow. WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2024 reported that Latin America and Africa together accounted for around 3% of global venture-capital deals in the first half of 2024, while venture-capital values fell by 19% in Asia-Pacific and 80% in Africa. At the same time, entrepre
Hephaestus Exits Stealth Having Raised $17.2M to Supply Rare-Earth-Free HTS Superconductors and Build Low-Cost Fusion Power21.10.2026 17:48:00 EEST | Press release
Hephaestus today emerged from stealth with solutions that address two of the largest cost drivers in fusion power: the high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets that confine the plasma, and the edge-localized modes (ELMs – major plasma instabilities) that drive up the cost and complexity of conventional reactor designs. The company also announced the close of a new funding round led by CiRi Ventures. Hephaestus was founded in London in 2019 with a single mission – to help make fusion energy cheap enough to compete on the grid. Its AI plasma solver initially swept the full space of tokamak design parameters, unconstrained by the legacy designs and materials much of the industry is already committed to, and identified negative triangularity (NT), which inverts the D-shaped plasma used in most tokamaks, as the most likely configuration for low-cost fusion energy. Subsequent results from facilities worldwide, including the DIII-D, JET, and SMART, have shown that NT can deliver strong
New TOURISE and LIONS Advisory Study Reveals How Creativity Creates a Commercial Advantage for Destination Growth21.10.2026 17:27:00 EEST | Press release
TOURISE, the world’s premier platform for shaping the future of global tourism, today released IDEAS That Travel, a new report developed in collaboration with LIONS Advisory. The study finds that while travel demand is rising, tourism brands are competing for attention in a more fragmented, socially driven and AI-mediated environment, where visibility alone is no longer enough to secure preference and growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021160141/en/ “Travelers are discovering destinations earlier and through more channels than ever, from social feeds and creators to communities and AI tools. That raises the bar for tourism brands. Creativity, distinctiveness and trust are becoming central to how destinations earn attention, build preference and remain relevant across the entire traveler journey,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE. IDEAS Th
DEWA International Signs 4 MoUs With Global Partners During WETEX 202621.10.2026 17:12:00 EEST | Press release
DEWA International signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with leading global entities during the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2026). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021351329/en/ DEWA International signs 4 MoUs with global partners during WETEX 2026 (Photo: AETOSWire) HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Chairman of DEWA International, said: “We are committed to building strategic partnerships with leading international institutions that possess extensive expertise in developing and implementing energy, water and infrastructure projects, while exploring future collaboration opportunities across key sectors. Through these MoUs, we aim to exchange knowledge and expertise and leverage best practices and advanced technologies. These efforts will help accelerate the transition to clean energy, enhance the resilience and ef
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom