SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) today announced the initiation of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 Study investigating the efficacy and safety of pamrevlumab in hospitalized patients with acute coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. This multicenter trial is being conducted in the U.S. and will enroll approximately 130 patients with COVID-19.

The primary objective of this study is to assess the effect of pamrevlumab on blood oxygenation in patients with COVID-19 infection, and patients will be randomized to treatment with pamrevlumab or standard of care in a 1:1 ratio. The primary efficacy assessment is the proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who have not received mechanical ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and remain alive at Day 28.

“The majority of patients with severe forms of COVID-19 have bilateral interstitial pneumonia, causing reduction in oxygenation and severe respiratory failure,” said Elias Kouchakji, M.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Drug Safety, and Pharmacovigilance, FibroGen. “The administration of pamrevlumab, a first-in-class anti-connective growth factor monoclonal antibody, could protect the lung from the immediate consequences of the infection presented as acute respiratory distress syndrome.”

A second planned U.S. trial is expected to assess the longer term efficacy and safety of pamrevlumab in patients who have recovered or are recovering from COVID-19 infection with evidence of interstitial lung disease.   

Pamrevlumab is a first-in-class antibody developed by FibroGen to inhibit the activity of CTGF, a common factor in fibrotic and proliferative disorders characterized by persistent and excessive scarring that can lead to organ dysfunction and failure. This trial will assess pamrevlumab’s effect on patient time to and on ventilatory support, currently the most urgent need, and its potential to reduce mortality and fibrotic sequelae in the lung.

“Given our expertise in CTGF biology and the potential application of this unique approach to the treatment of patients with acute COVID-19 infection, we are excited to begin enrolling this trial in the U.S.” said Enrique Conterno, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. “We are grateful for the collaboration of the FDA, investigators, and patients in enabling the conduct of this trial.”

About Pamrevlumab

Pamrevlumab is a first-in-class antibody developed by FibroGen that inhibits the activity of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a common factor in fibrotic and proliferative disorders. Pamrevlumab is in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC), and in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and coronavirus (COVID-19). For information about pamrevlumab studies currently recruiting patients, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About FibroGen

FibroGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics. The company applies its pioneering expertise in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) biology to advance innovative medicines to treat unmet needs. The Company is currently developing and commercializing roxadustat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity, for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Roxadustat is also in clinical development for anemia associated with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and for chemotherapy-induced anemia. Pamrevlumab, an anti-CTGF human monoclonal antibody, is in clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and coronavirus (COVID-19). For more information, please visit www.fibrogen.com.

Source: FibroGen, Inc

Posted: June 2020