Dual Effects of NV-CoV-2 Biomimetic Polymer: An Antiviral regimen against COVID-19

Remdesivir (RDV) is the only antiviral drug so far approved for COVID-19 therapy by the FDA. However its efficacy is limited in vivo due to its low stability in presence of plasma. This paper compared the stability of RDV encapsulated with our platform technology based polymer NV-387 (NV-CoV-2), in presence of plasma in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, a non- clinical pharmacology studies of NV-CoV-2 (Polymer) and NV-CoV-2-R (Polymer encapsulated Remdesivir) in both NL-63 infected and uninfected rats were done. In an in vitro cell culture model experiment, antiviral activity of NV-CoV-2 and NV-CoV-2-R are also compared with RDV. The results are (i) NV-CoV-2 polymer encapsulation protects RDV from plasma- mediated catabolism in vitro and in vivo, too. (ii) Body weight measurements of the normal (uninfected) rats after administration of the test materials (NV-CoV-2, and NV-CoV-2-R) show no toxic effects on them. (iii) NL-63 infected rats body weights and their survival length were like uninfected rats after treatment with NV-CoV-2 and NV-CoV-2-R, and the efficacy as an antiviral regimen were found in the order as below: NV-CoV-2-R > NV-CoV-2 > RDV. In brief, our platform technology based NV-387-encapsulated-RDV (NV-CoV-2-R) drug has a dual effect on coronaviruses. First, NV-CoV-2 itself as an antiviral regimen. Secondly, RDV is protected from plasma-mediated degradation in transit, rendering altogether the safest and an efficient regimen against COVID-19.