Clinical Development in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

AXL (the target of bemcentinib) plays an important role in transporting viruses into cells and once inside, AXL signaling promotes ongoing viral activity and spread to nearby cells, by reducing the infected cell’s natural responses which would assist in limiting the activity of infections. Bemcentinib has been studied in 179 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 compared with standard-of-care therapies. Preliminary data indicate that bemcentinib in addition to standard of care therapies provides added sustained protection against worsening of lung damage in patients who require oxygen treatment, thus reducing the chances of needing a ventilator to help their breathing and aiding in their recovery.
In January 2022, BerGenBio announced that bemcentinib has been included in the EU Supported EUSolidAct Phase II platform, an adaptive clinical study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.