- PharmaDrug (PHRX) has begun manufacturing PD-001, its oral formulation of cepharanthine, for cancer and infectious disease studies
- In clinical research, cepharanthine has been shown to exhibit anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, immuno-regulatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic effects
- It is being tested as a treatment for cancer and for COVID-19
- PharmaDrug is a specialty pharmaceutical company
- PharmaDrug Inc. (PHRX) is up 10.0 per cent, trading at $0.055 per share
PharmaDrug (PHRX) has begun manufacturing PD-001, its oral formulation of cepharanthine, for cancer and infectious disease studies.
This follows the company’s recent announcement that it successfully completed a pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the proposed development of PD-001 for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.
The company also recently reported positive preclinical results which studied the use of PD-001 as a treatment for esophageal and other cancers.
Cepharanthine is a natural product and an approved drug used for more than 70 years in Japan to successfully treat a variety of acute and chronic diseases.
In clinical research, cepharanthine has been shown to exhibit anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, immuno-regulatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic effects.
As a cancer treatment, cepharanthine has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce cancer cell apoptosis (death), and restore cancer cell sensitivity in chemotherapy.
In testing for the use of cepharanthine as a treatment for COVID-19, the drug was the most effective of all the drugs used in in vitro screening.
To support the quantity—and quality—of the drug needed in its clinical and non-clinical testing, PharmaDrug has purchased a large order of cepharanthine material. The company has engaged Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to initiate cGMP manufacturing activities in the first quarter of 2022.
“We are extremely excited to be moving forward with the manufacturing of a cGMP lot of PD-001,” said PharmaDrug chairman and CEO Daniel Cohen. “Following the completion of a successful pre-IND meeting with the FDA and ongoing studies in both rare cancers and COVID-19, we are confident we have a clear path to the clinic on a number of fronts.”
The company plans to develop PD-001 for both oncology and infectious disease uses, providing valuable time and cost efficiencies by eliminating the need to duplicate multiple standard activities.
PharmaDrug is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of controlled substances and natural medicines such as psychedelics, cannabis, and naturally-derived approved drugs.
PharmaDrug Inc. (PHRX) is up 10.0 per cent, trading at $0.055 per share as of 10:00 am EST.
