STERLING, Kan. — Genzada Pharmaceuticals is continuing to pursue potential solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is something that we feel like is right in our wheelhouse, in terms of searching for different molecules, different compounds that may have effect against various diseases, COVID-19 included," said Executive Vice President Jason West. "We thought, this is a good opportunity for us to take a look at some of the existing compounds we have in our pipeline and basically send those off for testing."
Based upon preclinical testing those compounds, inspired by the black calla lily, have shown initial efficacy on COVID-19 and other viruses.
"This is kind of an early indication that there may be something there," West said. "There may be some viable compound that could go forward to be a drug eventually, someday."
At this point, it looks like it would be more of a therapeutic than a vaccine-type treatment, but it's really too early to tell.
"The way we think it works, at least right now, is that it essentially binds to the virus itself," West said. "For lack of a better term, it seems to be changing the shape of the virus, the physical shape, so then it does not have the ability to attach to a healthy cell."
The work thus far has been performed in part by Northern Arizona University's COVID-19 Testing Service Center.