Spartina’s Anti-Viral Therapeutics Making the News

Spartina Biotechnologies, a company supported by the New Mexico Consortium, has recently been highlighted in the news for their work developing a COVID-19 treatment.

According to Dr. Richard Sayre, this treatment has been in development since March. It is not a vaccine, but a medication that blocks the ability of viruses to replicate and triggers an immune response within the patient within hours.

This treatment is something one would take after becoming infected with the virus. The therapeutic is injected by a shot and enters into cells that are already infected. It works by stopping the replication of the virus, so it does not spread throughout the body. And at the same time, it it activates the innate immune system.

According to Dr. Sayre, “The innate immune response is very different than the type of immune response that’s activated by a vaccine. It’s much faster than a vaccine. Vaccines take weeks to develop sometimes, but the innate immune response is activated within minutes of a virus infection, and what’s been shown is that kids that have a very active innate immune system have better disease outcomes. And in fact, adults that have a fast activated innate immune system also have milder disease symptoms.”

Paul Laur, the CEO of Spartina, says that they are now working in the lab physically producing the treatment, and will go to clinical trials in the early spring. According to Laur, the goal is to have the treatment available by the end of next year.

Spartina’s goal is to provide a safe, effective, and affordable alternative to vaccines that can change the course of COVID-19 and other viruses in the world.

New Mexico Consortium researchers are supporting modeling and laboratory efforts at Spartina Biotechnologies.

To read more see the KOB4 article, “Santa Fe biotechnology company developing COVID-19 treatment“.