The Noxopharm Ltd (ASX: NOX) share price has started the week on a positive note.
At the time of writing, the clinical-stage drug development company's shares are up 6% to 67 cents.
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Why is the Noxopharm share price charging higher?
Investors have been buying Noxopharm's shares after it provided an update on its Veyonda product.
According to the release, the company has lodged an international patent application aimed at protecting the use of Veyonda in blocking the development of septic shock associated with infections such as COVID-19 and influenza viruses.
Veyonda is being developed as an anti-cancer drug that enhances the effectiveness of standard anticancer treatments.
The release notes that one of its anti-cancer actions is the blocking of a signalling pathway called STING that serves as trigger for an immune response and repair of damaged tissue. In some individuals, the STING response is inappropriately excessive, pushing the individual over into septic shock. Veyonda appears to be the first drug that blocks STING in the clinic.
With an estimated one person dying globally every 3 seconds from cancer and one every 3 seconds from septic shock, management notes that the commercial opportunity for Veyonda has just doubled. It feels this underlines the commercial importance of the recent patent lodgement.
What about COVID-19?
The company advised that "long COVID" symptoms, such as long-lasting fatigue, breathing problems, headaches, along with severe organ damage and death, are all outcomes associated with septic shock.
Septic shock currently is managed with supportive treatments including drugs and fluids to restore blood pressure, anti-inflammatories such as dexamethasone, and antibiotics/antivirals. However, Noxopharm notes that the key need, that of providing a reduction in cytokine levels in a safe and comprehensive manner, remains largely unmet.
As a result, it sees a significant opportunity for the Veyonda product in this market.
