One of the First COVID-19 Treatments Goes to Clinical Trials

By Chris Lange Published Apr 1, 9:40AM EDT

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One of the First COVID-19 Treatments Goes to Clinical Trials — © cyano66 / Getty Images

InflaRx N.V. (NASDAQ: IFRX) shares jumped early on Wednesday after the company announced that it has enrolled its first patient into a clinical trial for the treatment of severe COVID-19-induced pneumonia. Specifically, the trial is testing the safety and efficacy of IFX-1, the company’s monoclonal anti-C5a antibody.

The company received initial positive human data from two initial patients suffering from COVID-19-induced severe pneumonia who were treated with BDB-001, an anti-C5a antibody produced by BDB from the IFX-1 cell line, in China. Data from the two patients are part of a larger investigation on the role of complement activation in COVID-19 that have been made publicly available through a preprint server and have not been independently validated by InflaRx.

Based on the company’s existing preclinical research on the role of C5a in viral-induced pneumonia and the initial results from the BDB study, InflaRx has decided to initiate a clinical development program with IFX-1 in COVID-19 patients with severely progressed pneumonia.

The company has received regulatory approval to start the trial in the Netherlands and enrolled the first patient at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Subject to regulatory approval, the company plans to initiate additional centers in Germany and potentially other European countries.

With regard to InflaRx’s other ongoing clinical trials, the company is monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on its programs. The company’s current clinical trial sites remain active; however, it is possible that sites have paused or will pause screening of new patients, and there may be other delays or consequences as the pandemic evolves.

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InflaRx stock traded early Wednesday up 69% at $6.47, with a 52-week range of $2.17 to $53.10. The consensus price target was $3.68.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.