MyMD Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to extending healthy lifespan by focusing on developing two therapeutic platforms, announced that a human cell research study of lead clinical compound MYMD-1 found the drug to be effective in suppressing the cytokine storm, a major cause of severity and death in COVID-19 patients. 

Accumulating evidence suggests that an increased level of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, are associated with the severity of COVID-19. Cytokine storm causes an overreaction of the immune system that can cause the body to attack its own tissues and organs, leading to a high proportion of deaths from COVID-19.

“MYMD-1’s potential ability to stop one of the leading causes of death in COVID-19 is among the most exciting developments in our research to date,” said Chris Chapman, M.D., President, Director and Chief Medical Officer of MyMD. “MYMD-1 regulates the immuno-metabolic system by modulating numerous pro-inflammatory cell signaling molecules called cytokines. The primary cytokine that MYMD-1 inhibits is TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha). MYMD-1 has been shown in laboratory tests of human cells to block TNF-α production – and the cytokine storm of COVID-19 that it produces – which have been implicated in causing injury and death from the coronavirus disease.

“MYMD-1 was first developed for the treatment of autoimmune and age-related diseases including extending human lifespan, but its mechanism of action offers potential therapeutic benefit for COVID-19 conditions,” Dr. Chapman continued. “Along with our focus on extending healthy lifespan, treatment for COVID-19-related complications is now a cornerstone of our clinical development plan for MYMD-1.”

COVID-19 Associated Depression

MYMD-1 may also be effective as a therapy for COVID-19-associated depression. MyMD is collaborating with a major medical school for a Phase 2 clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of MYMD-1 to treat immune-mediated depression and cytokine elevation in patients affected with COVID-19. As a COVID-19-related therapy, MYMD-1 has the potential to move rapidly toward FDA approval through a special emergency program created to move new treatments into the clinic as quickly as possible.

According to MyMD Chief Scientific Officer Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D., “The importance of our upcoming Phase 2 trial can’t be overstated. Despite the prevalence of COVID-19-related mental illness, our trial will be the first clinical trial to date of a pharmaceutical intervention to treat COVID-19-related immune-mediated depression.”