Israeli company announces successful trials of COVID-19 drug

JERUSALEM - An Israeli biotech company on Thursday said it has achieved success in clinical trials of a new drug for curing COVID-19.

The drug, called MesenCure, was developed by the Bonus BioGroup, for the treatment of the life-threatening respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients.

The new drug, consisting of adipose-derived stem cells from healthy donors, is transmitted to the patients by blood transfusion. The company said it can reduce inflammation in the lung tissue and help the restoration process.

MesenCure's successful trials on animals, which were carried out about a year ago, gained the government's green light to initiate the clinical trials on humans at the Rambam Medical Center in northern Israel.

Ten COVID-19 patients, aged from 45 to 75, all suffering from severe syndromes, were included in the trials.

They all suffered from acute respiratory distress, severe pneumonia, and dangerous immune response. Most of them also suffered from other complex diseases.

After treatment with the drug, however, there was a marked improvement in the condition of all the patients who were discharged from the hospital after one day on average since the treatment ended.

The treatment led to an improvement in the patients' mobility and their ability to perform routine actions, along with relieved pain and anxiety.

The next phase of the trials will include an additional 50 patients, who will also be treated with the drug at the Rambam Hospital.