Aridis Pharma Says AR-712 Neutralizes Covid-19 Delta Variant

(RTTNews) - Biopharmaceutical company Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARDS) Monday said its COVID-19 mAb cocktail AR-712 binds and neutralizes the Delta variant virus SARS-CoV-2 at a highly effective level. Shares gain over 5% in after-hours trading, following the news.

Analyses project that AR-712 will be effective against all variants on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Variants of Interest and Variants of Concern lists, the company said in a statement.

AR-712 is being developed as a self-administered, at-home inhaled treatment for COVID-19 patients who are not yet hospitalized. The product candidate is designed to substantially lower the barrier to treatment of COVID-19 patients and encourage treatment much earlier in the course of their disease within the patients' own homes.

The company remains on track to finalize the Phase 1/2/3 design for this program and initiate the clinical study in second half of 2021.