Acetylcysteine zidrimer

OP-101 is a novel compound that involves n-acetyl cyseine covalently bonded to an inactive dendrimer. In preclinical models, it was shown that OP-101 is selectively taken up by activated microglia, and localizes in areas wehre there is neuroinflammation. In these activated neural cells, OP-101 releases n-acetyl cysteine and helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. In multiple animal models, OP-101 was shown to normalize reactive macrophages, shut down cytokine cascades, and attenuate hyperinflammation. Thus, in May 2020, Orpheris, a subsidiary of Ashvattha Therapeutics and the developer of the compound, is pursuing a Phase 2 clinical study on the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of OP-101 in patients exhibiting severe COVID-19 symptoms (NCT04458298).