Equillium, Inc. (EQ) is a biotechnology company, which engages in the development of products for severe immuno-inflammatory disorders with high unmet medical need. Its product pipeline includes EQ001, which is a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the novel immune checkpoint receptor CD6. The company was founded by Daniel Mark Bradbury, Bruce D. Steel, and Stephen Connelly on March 16, 2017 and is headquartered in La Jolla, CA.
- Thinly traded nano cap Equillium rockets 207% premarket on increased volume in reaction to an announcement from partner Biocon Limited that results from a clinical trial in India showed that itolizumab significantly reduced mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
- The Drugs Controller General of India has granted restricted emergency use of itolizumab for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- Equillium is planning to conduct a global randomized study testing itolizumab in COVID-19 patients. An IND is next up.
- Itolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to an immune checkpoint receptor called CD6 that plays a key role in a wide range of immuno-inflammatory diseases.
Equillium is currently developing itolizumab to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. The stock is currently trading up 260% in the pre-market.
Biocon also announced that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted restricted emergency use of itolizumab for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in India.
Based on the encouraging topline results and DCGI approval, Equillium revealed that it is now planning to conduct a global randomized controlled clinical trial of itolizumab in COVID-19 patients for which it will file a U.S. investigational new drug application (IND).
Biocon conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label study at four hospitals in India, enrolling a total of 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe ARDS. Twenty patients were randomized to receive itolizumab plus best supportive care, while 10 patients received best supportive care alone. The primary endpoint was mortality at one month.
Itolizumab is a first-in-class immune-modulating antibody therapeutic with a novel mechanism of action that inhibits the activity and trafficking of pathogenic T cells that release pro-inflammatory cytokines in a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Equillium acquired rights to develop and commercialize itolizumab in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand through an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Biocon.
Equillium is currently evaluating itolizumab under two open U.S. INDs for the treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease and lupus nephritis, as well as conducting a clinical study in uncontrolled asthma in Australia and New Zealand.
Is Equillium (EQ) a smart investment?
Shares of Equillium (EQ) appear to be a very good investment option, the Metrics Indicator is expecting its price to increase considerably in the next several months. The majority of the metrics point to this short term investment being highly attractive.
