SirVir obtains positive results in pre-clinical experiment against COVID-19

The English translation of an interview on Ynet with Prof. Roger Kornberg the scientific president of Aposense and SirVir.

Petach Tikva, and Ness-Ziona, Israel. (April 26, 2020)

SirVir Ltd., headed by Professor Roger Kornberg, Nobel Prize Laureate in chemistry, and funded by Sir Leonard Blavatnik through an affiliate Access Industries, Inc., is a subsidiary of Aposense Ltd. and is active in the field of genetic therapies for respiratory viral infections. Aposense is an innovative Israeli biopharmaceutical company which develops first-in-class Molecular Nano-Motors (MNMs) utilizing membrane electrical potential for trans-membrane delivery of genetic drugs, including siRNA.

SirVir recently entered into a collaborative Research and Development Project with the Israeli Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) with the goal of accelerating development of a genetic therapy for the pandemic of Corona virus COVID-19 based on Aposense’s proprietary gene delivery platform that was licensed to SirVir. Sirvir and IIBR are now pleased to announce success in the first pre-clinical study, performed in cell culture, which evaluated anti-viral activity of an Aposense MNM construct comprising siRNA in eradication of COVID-19 to the extent of 90%.

The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) is a governmental, cutting-edge applicable research institute, specializing in the fields of biology, chemistry and environmental sciences. IIBR recruits leading Israeli scientists and support staff and benefits from facilities built to serve the topmost research and strict safety standards. About Coronavirus On January 7, 2020, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, and thereafter spread worldwide to be a pandemic, with very large morbidity and mortality. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can lead to respiratory illness, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and people and can evolve into strains not previously identified in humans.

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