SIMCERE PHARMA announced that SIM0417, a candidate drug against SARS-Cov-2, for which the Company holds license from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) and Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has obtained the Clinical Trial Approval issued by the National Medical Products Administration in China, and is proposed for post-exposure prophylaxis for close contacts of individuals who test positive for SARS-CoV-2. SIM0417 (molecule serial number SSD8432) targets 3CL protease, which is a key protease required for SARS-CoV-2 replication. It is currently under clinical development for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. SIM0417 has shown broad-spectrum antiviral activity, good in vivo pharmacokinetic properties, and safety in pre-clinical studies. It is a highly active, low toxicity, orally administrable small molecule anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidate.
