MCG Pharmaceuticals has developed a supplement which has been clinically shown to protect against the worst symptoms of COVID-19 by targeting the immune response that makes the virus so dangerous. ArtemiC Rescue, a supplement which uses Swiss PharmaCan’s MyCell technology, has demonstrated positive results in Phase II clinical trials.
The virus itself is not the biggest problem, the companies point out, complications are often caused by an overreaction from the body’s own immune system, known as the cytokine storm effect. The active ingredients in MyCell technology work together to fight this phenomenon – or preventative measure.
Michel Fässler, CEO of Swiss PharmaCan said: “When we can anticipate the cytokine storm and prevent it from happening, suddenly we have a very different situation on our hands – one in which the symptoms tend to be much milder and not as many people need medical assistance.”
The supplement is designed to strengthen existing protective measures available against the pandemic.
The formulation is designed to be a “silver blanket”, rather than a “silver bullet”. Therapeutics that have been tested against COVID-19 so far have all concentrated on individual elements, such as disrupting isolated cytokine activities or the molecular events that allow the virus to replicate or enter the cells.
MCG Pharmaceuticals’ supplement instead employs a multi-pronged approach. “ArtemiC Rescue is a formulation comprising several active ingredients, each of which is associated with multiple therapeutically relevant biological effects,” said Dr Jonathan Grunfeld, CMO, MGC Pharmaceuticals. “The idea is to simultaneously obstruct multiple processes driving the disease in an attempt to smother its progression.”
The Phase II trial was independently managed by Dr Nadya Lisovoder, CEO of Galilee Clinical Bio Research. The supplement was tested on 50 patients hospitalised with moderate cases of COVID-19. As early as three days into the study, patients in the treatment and placebo groups began to deviate on their recovery path, the companies say.
By the end of two weeks of treatment, 100% of the patients in the treatment group had reportedly shown significant improvement, more so than those in the control group. All patients in the treatment group had a NEWS score less than or equal to 2.
The supplement comprises curcumin, boswellic acids, artemisia and vitamin C. Because the human body has trouble absorbing these compounds in their ordinary state, the supplement uses MyCell technology developed by Swiss PharmaCan, which encapsulates the active ingredients and enables delivery directly to the cells of the body.
