12 August 2020 - - The Phase 2 clinical study of US-based Blade Therapeutics' investigational therapeutic, BLD-2660, has enrolled half of the anticipated 120 coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia patients, the company said.

Started in May 2020, BLADE-CONQUER (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04334460) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of BLD-2660 on lung function and recovery time in hospitalized patients with pneumonia due to confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BLD-2660 is dosed orally twice a day. The trial permits concomitant use of approved therapeutics including Remdesivir.

BLD-2660 is a small-molecule investigational medicine designed to target a specific group of cysteine proteases called dimeric calpains (calpain 1, 2 and 9).

Over-activity of dimeric calpains leads to inflammation and fibrosis. Use of BLD-2660 has the potential to stop or even reverse the overactivation of the immune system and progression of fibrosis in several organs, including the lungs and liver.

BLD-2660 is also known to downregulate calprotectin, a protein complex and neutrophil activation marker that tracks with lung dysfunction.

Fibrosis is the permanent thickening or scarring of organ tissue in response to inflammation or damage caused by infection, altered metabolism, diseases or toxins.

As a result of fibrotic scarring, tissue no longer functions normally, leading to worsening disability and death.

Diseases characterised by uncontrolled, progressive fibrosis include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and systemic sclerosis.

Blade Therapeutics is a private biopharmaceutical company advancing novel, highly selective small-molecule therapies to treat debilitating diseases of lung and liver fibrosis.

The company had developed a diversified small molecule portfolio of clinical stage assets, including two clinical stage assets (BLD-2660 and BLD-0409) and several preclinical stage assets, through a combination of in-house drug research and selective in-licensing.

In March 2020, the company initiated a clinical programme to study its lead molecule (BLD-2660) in the treatment of COVID-19.

Since its founding in 2015, the company has raised approximately USD90 m, including investments from Deerfield Management, MPM Capital, Pfizer Venture Investments, One Ventures, Osage University Partners and pharma strategic investments from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.

The company has assembled critical leadership expertise supplemented by a world-class network of scientific, pharmaceutical and clinical advisors to enable efficient and successful drug development.