Constant Therapeutics announced its peptide drug TXA127, a pharmaceutical formulation of the natural human peptide angiotensin-(1-7), will be tested in a Phase 2 clinical trial at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, New York. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will recruit 100 patients with COVID-19 who require oxygen but are not in the ICU. The endpoints include incidence of renal failure and incidence of respiratory failure.

"We were interested in testing TXA127 because it is our hypothesis that the downregulation of ACE2 by SARS-CoV-2 may lead to an angiotensin-(1-7) deficiency and tilt the renin angiotensin signaling axis into a pro-inflammatory state. Supplementation with exogenous angiotensin-(1-7) with TXA127 has the potential to reverse this disruption," said Dr. Jeanine D'Armiento, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine in Anesthesiology and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Center for Molecular Pulmonary Disease at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

TXA127 is a Mas receptor agonist and has been shown in various animal models of lung injury to reduce inflammation, stabilize endothelial and epithelial barriers and reduce fibrosis.

"This is an important trial focused on an at-risk patient population, where TXA127 may improve lung and kidney function and potentially have an impact on cytokine release syndrome.  We have been working with the investigators at Columbia since April when they contacted us with their hypothesis about the role of angiotensin-(1-7) in COVID-19, and we are looking forward to treating the first patient," Dr. Richard Franklin, CEO of Constant Therapeutics, said.

Constant previously announced plans for three additional Phase 2 trials at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna, Italy; and at sites in Israel affiliated with Bar-Ilan University and Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

TXA127 is a pharmaceutical formulation of the naturally occurring human peptide angiotensin-(1–7). In addition to its specific effects in lung injury, TXA127 has shown therapeutic activity in animal models of chronic stroke, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Limb–Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (MDC1A), Marfan Syndrome and Epidermolysis Bullosa.