Benzinga | Aug 27, 2020 09:18AM EDT

AIM ImmunoTech Says Decreases SARS-CoV-2 Infectious Viral Yields By 90% Using New In Vitro Model; Says Supports Further Testing of Ampligen as an Intranasal Prophylactic to Prevent COVID-19

OCALA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 27, 2020 / AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE:AIM) is pleased to announce that it has identified an effective in vitro model at The Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University for testing Ampligen, a dsRNA TLR3 agonist, and the results show that Ampligen was able to decrease SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% at clinically achievable intranasal Ampligen dosage levels. This result supports AIM's goal of developing an intranasal prophylactic approach using Ampligen to prevent COVID-19.

"We are pleased with these results, as they establish Ampligen's bio-activity against SARS-CoV-2 as well as support our decision to test Ampligen in humans as an intranasal prophylaxis and early-onset therapy against COVID-19," said AIM CEO Thomas K. Equels.

The 3D-mucociliary tissue culture of normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells sufficiently models some of the key innate immune responses needed to demonstrate Ampligen's prophylactic effect on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The 90% effective concentration (EC90) of Ampligen observed in this tissue culture model is clinically achievable in human subjects to presumptively decrease SARS-CoV-2. Currently, there is a lack of an adequate animal model and therefore the company utilized the USA-WA1/2020 strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a 3-D, in vitro model of normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells. The results show that Ampligen was able to decrease SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% at clinically achievable intranasal Ampligen dosage levels. This result supports AIM's goal of developing an intranasal prophylactic approach using Ampligen to prevent COVID-19.

Ampligen is believed to be a powerful positive modulator of human innate immunity and therefore the best measure of efficacy will be obtained in animal and human experimentation utilizing a living, in vivo, innate immune system.

In a brief recap of AIM's experimental history in SARS-like diseases, Ampligen has demonstrated clear activity in prior SARS-CoV-1 virus animal experiments. With a SARS-CoV-1 virus mouse model, Ampligen demonstrated 100% protective survival benefit compared to 100% mortality in a saline control group. Ampligen also reduced SARS-CoV-1 lung titers to below the level of detection (Day 2009 and Barnard 2006). However, because similar animal models with mice designed to replicate the human response to SARS-CoV-2 are not yet readily available for experimentation, AIM sought an in vitro experimental model. However, as previously disclosed, the typical cell line for viral experimentation, cloned AGM cells, have lost the genetic capacity to allow Ampligen's biomechanics to be expressed. This general effect was first observed and reported in 2006 in Table 1 of the Barnard, et al. publication in Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy 2006, 17:275. See also, ( https://dd7pmep5szm19.cloudfront.net/2265/0001493152-20-011683.htm)

In 2006, recognizing this defect in the in vitro model, Barnard, et al. then used an in vivo mouse model and Ampligen showed high antiviral activity with reduction in lung titers of SARS-CoV-1 to below the level of detection. Then, in a 2009 follow-up animal experiment, Ampligen demonstrated 100% protective survival as compared to 100% mortality in the control group of rodents.

For these reasons, while awaiting the availability of future in vivo animal experimental data and human clinical data, AIM pursued this more relevant in vitro model to demonstrate Ampligen's positive bioactivity against the virus that causes COVID-19 using a model consisting of normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial (TBE) cells which have been cultured to form a multi-layered, highly differentiated model that closely resembles the epithelial tissue of the respiratory tract. These cells still retained both toll-like receptors as well as the ability to produce and react to interferons induced by Ampligen.

This demonstration of Ampligen's bioactivity against SARS-CoV-2, resulting in a significant in vitro reduction of infectious virus at clinically achievable doses confirms our commitment for the development of Ampligen as both a prophylaxis and early onset intranasal therapy for COVID-19.