Cerecor (NASDAQ:CERC) enrolled the first patient in its a proof-of-concept trial evaluating CERC-002 in patients with COVID-19 cytokine storm-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
CERC-002 is a monoclonal antibody designed to suppress the inflammatory LIGHT cytokine, which is part of the tumor necrosis super family 14.
The trial will enroll approximately 82 subjects hospitalized with COVID-19 ARDS. Patients in the CERC-002 arm will receive a single dose of CERC-002 and will be followed for 28 days.
The study’s primary objective is to demonstrate that treatment with CERC-002 results in fewer instances of respiratory failure and death, compared with the standard-of-care.
“We believe that suppressing levels of the inflammatory cytokine LIGHT, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in ventilated COVID-19 patients, might dampen the cytokine storm and prevent severe ARDS in this population,” Dr. Jeffrey Wilkins, Cerecor’s CMO, said in a statement.
