Drug development company NeuroRx Inc announced on Tuesday that it has filed for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) with the US FDA for the use of RLF-100 (aviptadil ) in patients with critical COVID-19 and respiratory failure receiving intensive care and have exhausted all approved treatments under a global partnership with Relief Therapeutics Holdings SA (SIX:RLF) (OTCQB:RLFTF) based on a case-control study.

Under the case-control study, the partners compared patients who were treated with RLF-100 to those receiving maximal standard of care treatment in the same ICU by the same medical staff. Patients treated with RLF-100 demonstrated a three fold advantage in survival, recovery from respiratory failure and other parameters indicative of meaningful clinical improvement.

According to the companies, RLF-100 (Aviptadil) is a formulation of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) and developed at Stony Brook University. VIP is known to be highly concentrated in the lungs, where it inhibits coronavirus replication, blocks the formation of inflammatory cytokines, prevents cell death, and upregulates the production of surfactant.

COVID-19-related death is primarily caused by Respiratory Failure. However, there is evidence of early viral infection of the alveolar type 2 cells. These cells are known to have angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors at high levels, which serve as the route of entry for the SARS-CoV-2 into the cells. Coronaviruses are shown to replicate in alveolar type 2 cells, but not in the more numerous type 1 cells.