60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, LLC (60P), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new medicines for tropical diseases, announced that initial testing in cell culture shows that ARAKODA (tafenoquine) is active against SARS-CoV-2 at clinically relevant concentrations.

60P collaborated with Biointelect, 360 Biolabs, Biocelect, and Certara to conduct testing on tafenoquine. In vitro testing and modeling and simulation with Certara’s Simcyp Simulator demonstrate that tafenoquine shows antiviral activity at concentrations that are pharmacologically relevant and may be achievable in lung tissue.

In vitro testing in Vero E6 cells shows that tafenoquine seems to interfere with infectious virus replication and reduce the yield of progeny virus. Tafenoquine [an 8-aminoquinoline] also appears to exhibit greater potency and a different mode of action than hydroxychloroquine [a 4-aminoquinoline], which is consistent with known differences in structure and modes of action against other organisms. Analysis and results are available in a preprint manuscript on bioRxiv, which is not yet peer reviewed.

“Based on this data, we believe that there is pharmacological plausibility and proof of hope that ARAKODA may have potential to be effective in the treatment pathway for COVID-19,” said Geoffrey Dow, chief executive officer of 60P. “We are encouraged by these results and are excited to evaluate this further to help identify a safe and effective therapeutic to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.”

60P intends to conduct further preclinical and clinical studies to evaluate the clinical relevance of these findings and is seeking financing and research partners in pursuit of this objective.

Tafenoquine was originally discovered by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. It was approved for malaria prophylaxis in 2018 in the United States as ARAKODA? and Australia as KODATEF. Both were commercially launched in 2019 and currently distributed through pharmaceutical wholesaler networks in each respective country. They are available at retail pharmacies as a prescription-only malaria prevention drug.

According to the CDC, the long terminal half-life of tafenoquine may offer potential advantages in less-frequent dosing for prophylaxis for malaria. At approved doses in healthy individuals, tafenoquine does not prolong cardiac repolarization [QTC interval].