Israeli company to begin advanced trials of therapy for severe COVID-19 patients

JERUSALEM, August 15 — The Israeli healthcare company Enlivex on Sunday announced it will carry out advanced trials of a new treatment for severe and critical COVID-19 patients.
The trials, authorized by the Israeli Health Ministry, are intended to evaluate the treatment for COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distressed syndrome (ARDS), the company added.
The new therapy, named Allocetra, is designed to reprogram immune cells called macrophages into their steady, balanced state after harmed by the virus. After affected by the virus, macrophages contribute significantly to the severity of the disease, the company noted.
The planned trial is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of the therapy when administered to severe or critical COVID-19 patients in addition to standard of care treatment.
Founded in 2012, Enlivex is based in the central city of Ness Ziona and traded at Nasdaq with a market cap of about 186 million U.S. dollars. (Xinhua)