Collaboration Core Facility Animal Models & Eisbach Bio GmbH
The Core Facility Animal Models (CAM) announces a collaboration with drug discovery start-up Eisbach Bio GmbH to test SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
Eisbach has developed small molecule inhibitors which target disease-relevant and novel mechanisms in SARS-CoV-2 for the treatment of COVID-19 and is now concluding late-stage pre-clinical development together with the CAM. The CAM is conducting animal studies to evaluate the new compounds with respect to their drug metabolism as well as tolerability. The inhibitors which directly shut off viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 could be given so far at high doses with no detectable toxicity nor side effects. Clinical trials are expected to start this summer.
The Core Facility Animal Models (CAM) at the Biomedical Center is a scientific unit of the LMU Munich providing scientists a platform to conduct animal experimentation in accordance with the legal requirements of the European and national (German) law. Core responsibility of the CAM is to care for all on-site animals subject to animal research experimentation. In addition, the CAM team supports scientists in the planning and realization of experiments as well as in providing expert advice and counseling toward legal authorities and government offices.
Eisbach Bio GmbH is a LMU spin off established in January 2019 on the Großhadern-Martinsried campus. The start-up develops novel drugs targeting essential motor proteins through allosteric mechanisms. Their technology allows to develop impactful medicines in oncology, where these machines use their engine’s power to reorganize the human genome, especially in the context of DNA damage and repair. Inhibitors targeting these machines hold great promise in treating cancer. In February 2020, Eisbach joined the worldwide efforts to combat the Coronavirus pandemic and is on-track to develop the first effective, targeted, enduring and sustainable antiviral COVID-19 therapy. The project received funding from the BMBF as part of their call to tackle the pandemic in spring 2020.