PHOENIX, A.Z., (August 21, 2020) Kalos Therapeutics today announced positive preclinical efficacy results from a series of Kalos peptides for the treatment of COVID-19.
Kalos peptides inhibited up to 42% of COV-2 spike peptides from its binding domain in the ACE receptor, demonstrating a peptide-peptide interaction producing inhibition. This ability to treat very ill patients who are hospitalized and even on a ventilator with a true therapeutic which can be dosed intravenously. This effort will produce advances for treating this disease in all patients. A similar approach would also be useful in immunocompromised patients where the addition of the Kalos drug to an existing I.V. would provide, touchless, non-immunostimulant therapy for patients exposed to, or diagnosed with SARS CoV-2 virus. The Kalos suite of therapeutics has been tested for combination therapy in treating cancers, and Kalos sees no reason that this combination approach couldn’t be used in treating COVID-19 with drugs like Remdesivir. The Kalos solution as a monotherapy may work best in immunocompromised patients.
Kalos Peptides: All Kalos peptides used in this project were eight amino acids in length, unmodified, and contained all-natural amino acids. All of the tested peptides were based on the patented Kalos antiproliferation motif. The sequence of Angiotensin II is also largely consistent with this motif. The tissue type of the organs implicated in SARS CoV-2 have an affinity to the basic motif that Kalos has patented. The ability to inhibit binding of the spike protein domain to the ACE2 protein will aid in the treatment of COVID-19 for all patients, including immunocompromised patients.
(Figure 1) Kalos Therapeutics
Screening assay: ELISA Assay that measures the binding of the COVID-19 Spike protein binding domain (RBD) to the ACE2 protein was used to test the Kalos peptides for their abilities to inhibit this interaction. The basics of the assay are shown below. Our peptides prevent the COVID-19 Spike RBD from binding to ACE2 attached to an assay plate. The unbound COVID-19 Spike RBD is then washed away. The amount of binding remaining is signaled by detection antibodies attached to the remaining COVID-19 Spike.
Inhibition of COVID-19 Spike RBD – ACE2 binding by Kalos peptides: The activities of Kalos peptides that inhibited bindings are shown (Figure 2). The peptides were tested at a concentration of 1uM. All peptides were tested in duplicate. The presence of two inhibition values indicates that they were also tested in two separate assays.
(Figure 2) Kalos Therapeutics
Kalos envisions next steps could be to see if whole virus could be inhibited from binding to, or infecting whole cells. Using a SARS CoV-2 model it may be possible due to the same entry mechanism.
Kalos is open to collaborations or co-development strategic partnerships of this novel approach to treating the most vulnerable of patients. Jamie Jones, Kalos Therapeutic Chief Business Officer said, “This is a significant event for COVID-19 vaccine development. We will actively seek strategic partners to expedite development.”
ABOUT KALOS THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Kalos is devoted to treating the unmet needs of people living with incurable diseases while doing so with less toxic and debilitating side effects than current standard-of-care treatments; thereby, improving the quality of life for the patient and their families. Kalos believes that by leveraging nature and the body’s mechanisms, they have created new, safer approaches to cancer and diseases that affect the eye. Kalos has several applications for animal health based on its eight-amino-acid and a 15-amino-acid drug KTV-111. Kalos’ lead compound KTH-222, is more promising than “standard of care” drugs with difficult to treat cancer. Kalos has entered the fight against COVID-19 with a novel peptide therapeutic approach for the most vulnerable of patients.
Contact:
Kalos Therapeutics, Inc.: Jamie Jones, Chief Business Officer, tel: 215-900-3930
Kalos Therapeutics, Inc. – info@kalostpx.com
For further information contact jjones@kalostpx.com
North America, California – United Kingdom, Northern Ireland
More information can be found on Kalos’ web site at http://www.kalostherapeutics.com