# IND-Enabling Development of a Small Molecule COVID Therapeutic

> **NIH NIH R43** · OYAGEN, INC. · 2024 · $300,000

## Abstract

The proposed Phase I SBIR will conduct IND-enabling studies to establish the pharmacokinetics
(PK) and SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) antiviral efficacy of sangivamycin (Sang) in Golden Syrian
hamsters. Sang is an adenosine nucleoside analog that we discovered to be a potent, dose-
dependent inhibitor of CoV-2 during in vitro viral infectivity studies conducted at the NIAID-
Integrated Research Facility (IRF) at Fort Detrick. Sang had significantly superior efficacy against
multiple variants of CoV-2 compared with Remdesivir but Sang also was additive with Remdesivir
when used in combination. CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19, which was first
documented in China in December 2019 and has since rapidly spread across the globe, leading
the World Health Organization to declare a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. CoV-2 has
infected greater than 600 million individuals worldwide with at least 6.4 million attributable deaths
to date. OyaGen has held type B preIND meetings with the FDA (PIND 150794). Historically,
Sang was safely tested in 88 human subjects during NCI cancer clinical trials but was abandoned
due to its lack of efficacy against cancers in human subjects. In this Phase I SBIR OyaGen seeks
to complete preclinical development of Sang as a therapeutic candidate for COVID-19 to facilitate
an IND application to conduct appropriate clinical trials leading to regulatory approval and
commercialization. In response to FDA guidance and comments to our preIND filing (150794) the
goal of this proposal is to conduct PK of Sang in a hamster animal model (Aim 1) as well as to
determine in vivo antiviral efficacy of Sang in the hamster COVID-19 model (Aim 2). The
development of Sang as a therapeutic for infected patients is a medical countermeasure for
immunocompromised people who may not benefit from immunization as well as a stop gap
therapeutic for new strains of CoV for which current vaccines may be less effective. Importantly,
our data support that Sang has the potential to enhance the efficacy of other therapeutics as a
combination therapy option in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10813199
- **Project number:** 5R43AI167113-02
- **Recipient organization:** OYAGEN, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Ryan P Bennett
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $300,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10813199

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10813199, IND-Enabling Development of a Small Molecule COVID Therapeutic (5R43AI167113-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10813199. Licensed CC0.

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