SGX-listed Singapore eDevelopment Limited's wholly owned subsidiary Impact Biomedical Inc. ("Impact Biomedical") announced today that their COVID-19 research with Global Research and Discovery Group Sciences ("GRDG"), conducted in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and Vilotos Pharmaceutical, Inc. ("Vilotos"), was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Molecules on June 11, 2020. The research paper, titled "Potential of Flavonoid-Inspired Phytomedicines against COVID-19," reports that in advanced computational molecular docking GRDG's Equivir and Linebacker compounds and Vilotos's Caflanone bind with high affinity to the spike protein, helicase, and protease sites on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 to cause COVID-19. The paper reports that in vitro studies demonstrated Caflanone's potential to inhibit multiple virus entry factors. Additionally, the use of smart nanoparticle drones to deliver these medicines is discussed in the journal.
The ACE2 receptor found in the lung and respiratory tract is used by the virus to infect cells and cause COVID-19. Molecular docking of Equivir, Linebacker and Caflanone demonstrated high binding affinity on the ACE2 receptor on spike protein, helicase, and protease sites on the ACE2 receptor causing conformational change to inhibit viral entry of the virus. The molecular docking results indicate that Equivir, Linebacker and Caflanone may bind to the ACE2 receptor equally or better than Chloroquine, a drug currently under evaluation in clinical trials against COVID-19.
Smart nanodrones can enhance the bioavailability of these phytomedicines and could allow the ability for image guided targeting and monitoring. The flavonoids can be encapsulated in the nanodrones using microfluidic approaches or can be conjugated as targeting moieties.
Equivir was created by GRDG as an OTC medication/vitamin that works by impeding virulence and blocking downstream factors to treat and protect against diseases caused by not only SARS-CoV-2 but also Rhinoviruses, Influenzas, and other dangerous pathogens. Equivir has broad antiviral efficacy against multiple types of Influenza, Rhinovirus, Cholera, Ebola, and COVID-19.
Linebacker was designed by GRDG to shadow the Panacea Project, a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to provide novel, multi-target therapeutics for unmet physiological needs. Linebacker is a patented universal therapeutic medication with demonstrated effectiveness in neurological diseases including Parkinson's, many types of cancer, and multiple pathogens such as MRSA, E. coli, Cholera, A. baumannii, Influenza, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Malaria, and COVID-19.
Clark Swanson, Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Vilotos said, "We are very pleased with the results from our joint antiviral studies. Caflanone holds great potential for the future development of a novel drug for the treatment of COVID-19."
GRDG's Chief Scientific Advisor is Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., the former United States Assistant Surgeon General and former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC.
The peer-review and publication of this research is significant and shows the potential of these compounds to be lifesaving tools in the fight against this and future pandemics."
Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Chief Scientific Advisor, GRDG
GRDG is also advised by Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lyerly Jr., retired Career Senior Executive / Scientific Professional from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and retired U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Lyerly also served as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Executive Office of the President (White House). Lieutenant Colonel Lyerly said, "These studies show that Equivir, Linebacker, and Caflanone may be the novel approaches to unique solutions the world is looking for to combat the health threats posed by pandemics such as COVID-19."
"This collaborative effort endorses the direction we are heading towards and with the collective effort from the team, we can achieve great success to benefit everyone" said Mr. Chan Heng Fai, Chairman.
The findings of this study further support our collaborative efforts to identify, exploit and combat the infective nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus."
Daryl Thompson, Director of Scientific Initiatives and founder of GRDG
This research indicates the strong potential for the development of these phytomedicines for use as prophylactics to prevent infection and as treatments to mitigate the disease saving many lives. The technologies can also be rapidly adapted to respond to future pandemics and emerging viral diseases.
Our intention in relation to the COVID-19 situation is to establish strong novel research data which will then be further developed and licensed to a major pharmaceutical company for integration and eventual deployment as treatments for diseases.
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