WARREN, N.J.: Tevogen Bio, a late-stage clinical biotechnology company specializing in the development of cellular immunotherapies in oncology, neurology, and virology announced today its intention to study potential therapeutic use of its investigational COVID-19 T cell therapy, TVGN-489, in Long COVID. The finding that none of the patients in the TVGN 489 Proof-of-Concept (POC) trial, treated for their initial COVID infection, developed Long COVID to date is leading Tevogen to explore the potential of TVGN 489 to also treat Long COVID.
“I’m greatly encouraged by the POC trial experience of TVGN 489 and hopeful that our investigational COVID-19 therapy will eventually offer hope to a substantial segment of Long COVID patients.” said Dr. Neal Flomenberg, Tevogen’s Chief Scientific Officer.
“Anyone that knows someone who has been impacted by this debilitating disease understands the importance of advancing science to alleviate the suffering from Long COVID,” said Tevogen CEO Ryan Saadi, M.D., M.P.H. “I’m hopeful that our innovative T cell technology will eventually offer accessible immunotherapies to millions suffering from viral infections, cancers and other diseases with high unmet need.”
TVGN-489 is highly purified cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTLs) designed to detect and kill SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. These allogeneic genetically unmodified CTLs are enriched and expanded in the lab and recognize proteins from across the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome, not just the spike protein.
In July 2022, TVGN-489 completed proof-of-concept clinical trial enrollment with zero treatment-related adverse events. Patients treated were infected with a range of all COVID variants at the time, from Delta through Omicron BA.5. Additionally, each patient had co-morbidities rendering them high risk and 50 percent of those additionally met the definition of being immunocompromised.
