Novel Oral Drug Opaganib Shows Promising Results in Ebola Virus Study

RedHill Biopharma Ltd., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has announced a significant breakthrough in the fight against Ebola virus disease. In a recent study funded by the U.S. Army, their novel oral drug, opaganib, demonstrated a statistically significant increase in survival time in an in vivo Ebola virus study.

The study, conducted by the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), tested three doses of opaganib against an inactive vehicle control arm. The results showed that the group receiving opaganib at a dose of 150 mg/kg twice a day (BID) experienced a mean survival time of 11.2 days, compared to 5.5 days in the control group. Additionally, a 30% survival rate was observed in the opaganib-treated group.

Opaganib is believed to be the first host-directed molecule to show activity in Ebola virus disease. It has previously demonstrated antiviral benefits in late-stage clinical studies of patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19. The drug was also selected by the NIH Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP) for Acute Radiation Syndrome development.

Rekha Panchal, Ph.D., who led the study at USAMRIID, expressed optimism about the results, stating, “These results represent an alternative strategy of using a host-directed therapeutic with activity in Ebola virus disease in-vivo. Given the unmet medical need and the untapped potential of host-directed antivirals, these results with opaganib support its further investigation for use in treating Ebola.”

Reza Fathi, Ph.D., RedHill’s SVP R&D, highlighted the potential of opaganib, stating, “We believe opaganib offers a potential breakthrough for fighting a virus capable of causing devastating outbreaks of disease in the countries least equipped to cope with them.” Opaganib’s host-directed action works through the inhibition of multiple pathways, anti-inflammatory properties, induction of autophagy and apoptosis, and disruption of viral replication.

Ebola virus disease is a rare and often deadly illness caused by infection with ebolaviruses. There are currently only two FDA-approved therapies for treating Ebola, and there is an urgent need for host-directed small molecule therapies that can be effective against multiple strains of the virus.

Opaganib’s promising results in the Ebola virus study further support its potential as a versatile treatment option for infectious viral diseases. RedHill Biopharma continues to explore the drug’s efficacy in various indications, including COVID-19, gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome, and cholangiocarcinoma.