The candidate, Ntr-441, is an engineered analog of a natural NET-destroying enzyme encoded by the DNASEIL3 gene. The analog was developed on the company's proprietary Chromatinase platform and is based on a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down the extracellular chromatin that forms NETs.

Several independent researchers have confirmed that NETs are associated with the clinical severity of COVID-19. Moreover, the company recently published a study in the Lancet's EBioMedicine open-access journal that found NETs in the lungs of COVID-19 patients. The candidate is being developed in part with funding from the National Institutes of Health, and the company plans to pursue testing to evaluate whether Ntr-441 is effective for treating COVID-19.

Are interferons helpful or harmful during SARS-CoV-2 infection?
The host immune system produces a variety of regulatory molecules, including interferons, during a response to viral infection. Although previously considered...