Zurich (AFP)
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced Thursday the launch of phase II and then III clinical trials on an anti-Covid treatment developed in partnership with the Zurich biotechnology company Molecular Partners.
The Swiss group plans to launch phase II trials, which correspond to the intermediate stage of clinical studies with 400 patients to evaluate the treatment called ensovibep after positive results in phase I, he said in a statement.
The trials aim to assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment developed by Molecular Partners to prevent worsening of symptoms and hospitalizations in patients with early infection.
Novartis acts as a sponsor of the trials.
The first results of this intermediate phase of the trials are expected at the end of August, said Novartis, which then plans to launch phase III trials with 1,700 patients, with results expected this time during the first half of 2022.
Novartis had reached an agreement at the end of October with Molecular Partners to develop two potential antiviral treatments against Covid-19, then at the very beginning of the research phase.
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