KarunaNews Story

Trials for a Canadian-developed COVID-19 treatment are set to begin at the University of Alberta. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Apabetalone in helping to prevent severe infection from COVID-19 and reducing long hospital stays, by effectively turning genes on and off. The drug is an oral pill taken once in the morning and once at night, for two to three weeks. It would cost about $7 per pill. If the trials are successful, the next step would be to apply for an emergency management application in Canada in June, and then in the U.S. about six months later. It is important to have other therapies because vaccinated people with critically poor immune systems are still at risk, says Dr. Noel Gibney, professor emeritus, critical care medicine at the U of A. With years of data backing the drug's science, efficacy and safety, Resverlogix president and CEO Donald McCaffrey is confident it could help manage the bottleneck in hospitals.