Mubadala Healthcare, continuing its work of strengthening UAE’s leading role in global fight against Covid-19, is partly funding the trial in UK of an immune dampening drug that will help diabetic Covid-19 patients handle the virus more efficiently.

The trial, ARCADIA, has been approved by UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency after doing preclinical research. The research has shown that a glucose kinase activator (AZD1656) could help diabetic Covid-19 patients by dampening the overactive immune system, which is quite acute in patients with high blood glucose levels. The trial is scheduled to begin on 29^th September 2020, and will be participated by hospitalized patients having mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms. If deemed successful, the compound can be prescribed by a primary care physician for diabetic people showing early symptoms of Covid-19.

Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Head of Mubadala Healthcare said, “We are delighted to be involved in this collaboration as it has great potential benefit for the UAE. There are more than one million people living with diabetes in our country, and this group is identified as being particularly vulnerable to effects of the Covid-19. This investment is one of many Mubadala Healthcare is making to enable the UAE government and population to mitigate the effects of the disease, and provide the resources needed to support local and international efforts that will lead to solutions for this pandemic.”

The compound was initially developed by AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals group, initially developed the compound.  But its immune-dampening effects were discovered through research by UK-based biomedical research charity St George Street Capital Limited, SGS. Hence, agreements were signed which gives SGS the right to conduct the clinical trials. The trial will be conducted by Excalibur Medicines Limited, EML. Mubadala Healthcare, Excalibur, several private partners. UK Government through the UKRI/Innovate UK programme is providing the grant for research.

EML founder Prof Sir Chris Evans said, “The funding from Mubadala Healthcare and our other partners will allow us to fast-track this research. All of us supporting this trial recognise this drug has the potential to make a huge difference to people with diabetes who are unfortunate enough to contract coronavirus and we foresee a significant impact on the level of fatalities in the future. Treatments such as this could be vital as we are likely to be living with this virus for some time to come.”

David Tapolczay, CEO of SGS said, “Given the current crisis, we have paused all our current research programme to focus totally on this clinical trial and evaluate this potentially life-saving new drug. Our charity was set up to accelerate the delivery of treatments to patients and this ethos is needed now more than ever before. We want to do everything in our power to ensure patients recover from this terrible virus.”

Prof John Martin, Chairman of SGS and Principal Investigator on the grant awarded by UKRI said, “Novel research thinking in an interdisciplinary group combined with the financial support of Mubadala, the drive of the charity and the excellent relationship we have with AstraZeneca have produced the potential for a great therapeutic leap. This also has potential for non-diabetic patients with Covid-19.”

WAM