“Lower mortality rate, better clinical status, and shorter duration of invasive ventilation were observed in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 treated with imatinib during a 90-day follow-up”

A long-term clinical outcomes analysis of COVID-19 patients treated with imatinib has recently been published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The study, performed by Exvastat’s collaborators, VUmc, reviewed the 90-day outcomes from the 385-patient CounterCOVID Phase II study and investigated the mechanisms underlying the clinical benefit of imatinib. In previously published results, patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and treated with imatinib had a shorter duration of invasive ventilation, shorter stay in the ICU and reduced mortality. This analysis pleasingly substantiates the earlier suggestions, of improved survival in COVID-19 patients treated with imatinib (after correction for comorbidities, the hazard ratio was 0.52 [p=0.045]) and also confirms a better clinical status according to an eight-point ordinal scale along with and reduced time on invasive ventilation (7 days on imatinib vs 12 days on placebo).

David Cavalla, CEO, commented “This updated analysis confirms the benefit of imatinib in patients with COVID-19, particularly in its more severe manifestations. The results with respect to improved mortality when corrected for all comorbidities are particularly encouraging. We are continuing with the investigation of Impentri™, a bespoke intravenous formulation of imatinib, in intensive care patients with moderate to severe ARDS as a result of COVID and non-COVID pneumonia as well planning for pivotal studies in this area.”