Benzinga | Jun 7, 2021 06:31AM EDT

MediciNova Initiates Sheep Study Under Partnership With BARDA To Develop MN-166 As A Medical Countermeasure Against Chlorine Gas-Induced Lung Injury

MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced it has initiated a sheep study to investigate MN-166 (ibudilast) in an ovine model of chlorine-induced acute lung injury. Following treatment of the sheep with MN-166 (ibudilast) or control, the study will evaluate pulmonary function, lung injury and edema formation, cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, and systemic vascular permeability.



MediciNova has partnered with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to repurpose MN-166 (ibudilast) as a potential medical countermeasure (MCM) against chlorine gas-induced lung damage such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute lung injury (ALI).

Federico Gaeta, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are pleased to work with BARDA to initiate the first animal model study to evaluate MN-166 as a potential rapidly-administered treatment for patients exposed to chemical agents such as chlorine. Under the FDA Animal Rule, development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) does not require human clinical trials to establish efficacy when these trials would not be ethical or feasible. FDA can grant approval of a drug for a MCM indication based on well-controlled animal studies, when the results of these studies establish that the drug is reasonably likely to produce clinical benefit in humans. MN-166 attenuated histological changes observed in an ARDS mouse model, including pulmonary edema in lung tissue, and protected against pulmonary injury by reducing cellular apoptosis in lung tissue. Considering that pulmonary edema is a hallmark feature of exposure to chlorine, MN-166 has the potential to improve health outcomes and save lives."

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. 75A50121C00022.