We are testing 60 antiviral compounds and have begun in vitro testing with results of 90+% effectiveness.
The DeepDrug™ platform will get treatments to patients faster, saving 90% of the time from initial discovery to getting a drug on the market. DeepDrug™ also has the potential to evaluate different compounds and drug combinations for potential toxicity to verify the safety of proposed treatments.
No stone left unturned
Skymount Medical has formed a consortium of world class research partners across the continent to ensure the rapid delivery of a COVID-19 therapeutic treatment. The initiative advanced during the IBM Watson AI XPrize competition when Louisiana State University’s DeepDrug™ team made a major breakthrough by creating new molecules to defend against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a small team of researchers re-tooled the AI engine to include antiviral peptides.
To date, over 1 trillion possible combinations have been analyzed and 60 leading candidates have been down-selected and are undergoing in vitro testing. With the support of our research partners, consortium partners, and government partners, we intend to fast track a therapeutic treatment to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, reducing its symptoms to that of a common cold. This will substantially reduce hospitalizations and ICU visits.
Leveraging the power of DeepDrug™ AI, university partners are contributing to the rapid acceleration, validation and re-engineering of new Antibiotics, Antivirals and Vaccines.
DeepDrug™ & COVID-19
Skymount is currently testing a number of novel drug combinations in both cell culture and animal models. Testing efforts are underway at the Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute (IITRI) in Chicago, Illinois, the University of Saskatchewan’s VIDO-InterVac Animal Testing Center, UC Riverside, McGill and Laval Universities.
Our goal is to devise a drug or a drug combination that will inhibit viral mechanisms in a patient's body, thereby easing symptoms and lowering the mortality rate—this is significant for people exhibiting severe symptoms who could instead experience mild symptoms. We are targeting a benchmark efficacy of 60%. Early reports indicated a higher level of efficacy in wet-lab screening and simulation as compared to market alternatives with significantly lower efficacy levels.
The technology will not only deliver antiviral molecules for COVID-19 to pharmaceutical researchers, but will also be able to rapidly respond to future outbreaks of other emerging viruses/pathogens.
Timeline
We apply patent-pending AI approaches through the DeepDrug™ platform to find treatments that can dramatically shorten the drug discovery and development time from years to months.
Oral Therapeutics Targeting COVID-19
Skymount mitigates the disease on multiple fronts
Prevent Cell Entry
By inhibiting Endocytosis / Membrane Fusion from the SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 Spike Protein.
Inhibit RNA Transcription
Stop replication.
Prevent Exit
From host cell by inhibiting Exocytosis from leaving the cell to prevent new cells from being infected.
Direct Antiviral Effects
Providing antiviral therapy based on entry, replication, and transmission.
Restores Imbalance
Secondary to the viral effects, restores Vitamin/Mineral/Essential Nutrient imbalance by using nutraceuticals that are immune enhancing and have antiviral qualities.
Secondary Antiviral Effects
Providing relief of the virus-cytokine storm (enhanced inflammation), bradykinin storm, cardiovascular events, vascular congestion.
Lowering the mortality rate
The COVID-19 therapeutic treatments DeepDrug™ is developing can inhibit viral mechanisms in a patient’s body and ease symptoms, lowering the mortality rate. These treatments are being built using compounds and drugs already approved by the FDA. They can prevent viral cell entry and cell exit, as well as RNA transcription, which is a necessary step for any virus to replicate itself in the body.
The Skymount Therapeutic Cocktail prevents the virus from entering cells by inhibiting endocytosis/membrane fusion with the SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 spike protein. It also synergistically enhances healthy cells from infection by inhibiting exocytosis, where viral molecules are secreted from infected cells.
milestones
Today
Skymount Medical has completed in vitro cytotoxicity studies in two known cell lines (kidney and lung) that are directly infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus on 16 different lead candidates.
What's Next
To establish in vivo efficacy studies that will be used to determine which drugs and dosing regimens we plan to use for investigator initiated human pilot studies.