• World first study utilizing Somalogic SomaScan® assay# to assess up to 7,000 plasma proteins in Long COVID-19 patients has elucidated novel blood markers as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets
• Provisional patent applications have been filed in the United States (US) to seek protection for these new inventions
• A potential therapeutic marker known to be modulated by ATL1102 in DMD patients has been identified as suggestive of its therapeutic potential as a treatment for Long COVID-19
• Collaboration with global leader in the clinical research of neurological aspects of Long COVID-19 Dr Koralnik to continue with application for grant funding
• Company plans to review its new patent applications with targeted pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies for potential commercial discussions
Antisense Therapeutics Limited [ASX: ANP | US OTC: ATHJY | FSE: AWY] (the Company) is pleased to advise of outcomes from its collaboration to study the neurological aspects of Long COVID-19 (Long Neuro COVID-19) with US based researchers led by global leader in the field, Dr Igor Koralnik, at the Northwestern Medicine Neuro-COVID clinic in Chicago, USA. The study has elucidated novel blood markers as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in the treatment of Long COVID-19 patients. Three (3) provisional patent applications have been filed in the US to seek protection for these new inventions.*
Under the collaboration, blood samples that had been collected from Long COVID-19 patients who had not been hospitalized (focused on those with neurological symptoms including brain fog, where blood immune cell changes were observed[1]), were used to generate data on up to 7,000 proteins in the blood utilising a large-scale protein analysis known as proteomics. Industry leading proteomics group Somalogic in Boulder Colorado USA undertook the analysis, successfully testing the samples using their SomaScan® assay and then the data was statistically analyzed using their Dataviz program[2].
The analyzed data has identified a number of proteins that are significantly modulated in the blood of Long Neuro COVID-19 patients when compared to convalescent subjects who had recovered from Long COVID-19 infection with no persistent symptoms and to healthy subjects. This data has been included in recently filed patent applications as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for the treatment of Long COVID-19. Certain targets when combined (as few as 5) identified all 48 Neuro Covid-19 patients and the 42 of 44 subjects who were convalescent or healthy controls suggestive of these targets’ diagnostic potential. A number of targets (