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- Impression Healthcare (IHL) is investigating a potential treatment for a respiratory condition associated with COVID-19
- Specifically, it will target sepsis-associated Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome or ‘ARDS’, the leading cause of death associated with COVID-19
- The novel therapeutic comprises of hydroxychloroquine, which has been used to treat inflammatory lung diseases, and cannabidiol, a potent anti-inflammatory agent
- Impression Healthcare plans to commence animal trials at a facility in Taiwan, subject to receiving an import permit for the cannabidiol
- Company shares are trading 8.33 per cent higher at 6.5 cents each
Impression Healthcare (IHL) is investigating a potential treatment for a respiratory condition associated with COVID-19.
Specifically, the potential treatment will target sepsis-associated Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome or ‘ARDS’, the leading cause of death associated with COVID-19.
The potential treatment
The novel small-molecule therapeutic called IHL-675A comprises of hydroxychloroquine, which has been used to treat inflammatory lung diseases, and cannabidiol, a potent anti-inflammatory agent.
Sepsis-associated ARDS is characterised by an excessive anti-inflammatory response known as hyperinflammation, capillary leakage and wetness of the lung, known as pulmonary oedema.
These can cause difficulty breathing, rapid or excessive breathing and insufficient oxygen in the blood potentially leading to fatal multiorgan failure.
The objective of the IHL-675A treatment is to reduce the severe inflammatory response in the lungs, reverse pulmonary oedema, promote regulatory pathways of the immune system which may potentially reverse tissue damage.
Impression Healthcare believes the combination of hydroxychloroquine and cannabidiol has potential in limiting tissue damage in sepsis-associated ARDS because of the two compounds’ different ways of mitigating the inflammatory response to infections.
Development of IHL-675A
Impression Healthcare plans to commence pre-clinical animal testing of IHL-675A at a facility in Taiwan which will be conducted by pharmaceutical research organisation Eurofins Scientific Taiwan.
The location was chosen due to Taiwan’s stores of hydroxychloroquine, however, a permit is required to import the cannabidiol required for the trials.
If this permit is received, Eurofins will evaluate the ability of the treatment to reduce cytokine production and hyperinflammation. The trial will aim to establish the optimal ration of hydroxychloroquine to cannabidiol and assess the anti-inflammatory activity of the combination.
Should IHL-675A prove successful in animals testing, Impression has been advised by the U.S Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) consultants Camargo Pharmaceutical Services that it could be a “strong candidate” for Emergency Use Authorisation as part of the FDA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impression Healthcare has lodged a provisional patent application with the Australian Patent Office over IHL-675A for ARDS, invented by Impression Healthcare Cheif Medical Officer Dr Sud Agarwal and Cheif Scientific Officer Dr Mark Bleackley.
Company shares are trading 8.33 per cent higher at 6.5 cents each at 11:28 am AEST.
