EmitBio Demonstrates New Treatment Is Effective Against Multiple Types Of Coronavirus

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EmitBio Inc., today announced new evidence from laboratory testing that demonstrates its proprietary light technology can inactivate multiple coronaviruses, beyond the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, to include the highly lethal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). These findings indicate a likelihood the company's technology will also be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants (mutations).

"Over the last 20 years we have seen three life-threatening coronavirus outbreaks, SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and now SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19," stated Neal Hunter, Executive Chairman of EmitBio. "Having this countermeasure at-the-ready will not only help current COVID-19 patients but will also provide protection against future outbreaks. We are moving aggressively to make sure that everyone around the world has access to this technology."

The World Health Organization reports that MERS-CoV has a 35 – 40% fatality rate in those testing positive, with common signs and symptoms at hospital admission that include fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, non-productive cough and shortness of breath. Most cases have been linked to residents of the Arabian Peninsula, but cases have been reported outside of this region due to travelers returning home from Saudi Arabia.

In a controlled laboratory environment, precise wavelengths of light achieved >99.9% reduction in MERS-CoV viral load at doses of energy that have previously been proven safe to human tissue. These data extend the company's ability to inactivate different coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2 and MERS), providing a reasonable likelihood that visible light therapy will kill coronaviruses that may exist in animal populations, but do not yet exist in the global human population.

"What we learned from these findings is that our visible light is effective at inactivating viral particles before infecting the cell, much like antibodies inactivate viruses and prevent them from entering cells," stated Dr. Adam Cockrell, Director of Virology Research, EmitBio. "The inactivation appears to hold true against two coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2 and MERS), which are far more genetically unique than the subtle mutations arising around the world in variants of SARS-CoV-2. It's not just the recent globally circulating variants that are of concern to the coronavirus research community, but also the imminent threat of coronaviruses that have not yet emerged into the human population."

EmitBio™ has developed a novel, hand-held treatment device* that directs energy into the upper respiratory tract with 100% of dose available at the site of need, thereby avoiding the possible side effects of systemic treatments. This device has been designed as an at-home treatment for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. The company recently reported results from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with the investigational treatment device, which showed a 99.9% reduction in viral load in adults with COVID-19. These clinical study results confirmed the expectations derived from in-vitro experiments that showed the antiviral effects of safe visible light on SARS-CoV-2.

"On a scale of genetic variation from A to Z, if you consider SARS-CoV-2 as A, and MERS-CoV as Z, and we can kill them both, then we can most likely kill everything in between," concluded Hunter.

About EmitBio Inc.
EmitBio Inc. is a life science company using the precise delivery of light to stimulate, heal and protect the body. EmitBio is comprised of a superior team of internationally recognized light science specialists merged with immunology and virology life science experts, prepared to react quickly to the pandemic and rapidly scale manufacturing for lifesaving medical breakthroughs. For more information, visit http://www.emitbio.com/.

EmitBio Inc. is headquartered in Durham, NC and is an operating subsidiary of KNOW Bio LLC. 

*   The EmitBio device is investigational and is not yet available for sale pending FDA action.

Scientific Collaboration:
The research team at EmitBio welcomes inquiries and offers of scientific collaboration from the global research community. Please direct communication to:
[email protected] 

Media Contact:
John Wallace 
[email protected] 
(619) 200-7856

Investor Contact:
John Oakley, Chief Financial Officer 
[email protected]
(919) 939-7715

SOURCE EmitBio Inc.

Related Links

http://www.emitbio.com