- Lattice Biologics (TSXV:LBL) plans to test its product, AmnioBoost, against the inflammatory lung condition caused by coronavirus
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the currently primary cause of death in coronavirus patients
- The company’s AmnioBoost is an amniotic fluid concentrate which has anti-inflammatory properties
- Lattice’s share price has shot up by 140 per cent, and is currently trading at 6 cents per share
Biotech company Lattice Biologics (TSXV:LBL) plans to test its product, AmnioBoost, against the inflammatory lung condition caused by coronavirus.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a condition in which the lungs fill up with fluid, restricting oxygen supply.
Currently, ARDS is the primary cause of death in patients who are infected by the coronavirus. Patients with COVID-19 who develop the inflammatory lung condition have a mortality rate that is reportedly approaching 50 per cent.
ARDS-related mortalities most commonly occur in patients who are old, or have pre-existing co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, compromised immune systems, or elevated inflammation.
Lattice’s product, AmnioBoost, is a concentrate derived from amniotic fluid, the protective substance which surrounds a fetus in the womb.
The amniotic fluid which AmnioBoost is comprised of is donated by healthy pregnant women, and is acquired by caesarean section. The procedure does not harm the babies.
Since its creation, Lattice has injected over 1,000 patients with AmnioBoost, with no adverse effects.
The company originally developed the product for treating chronic adult inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis. However, AmnioBoost has proven to have a range of uses, including as a treatment for bone, cartilage, and soft tissue repair.
Now, Lattice has turned its attentions to coronavirus-related ARDS, which AmnioBoost may have the potential to treat.
The company believes that AmnioBoost has immunomodulatory properties, meaning that it could regulate the body’s production of inflammation-related proteins, or cytokines. If so, the concentrate could decrease the pro-inflammatory proteins, and increase anti-inflammatory proteins.
This would have significant implications for the treating of numerous inflammatory diseases, including acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Lattice’s share price has shot up 140 per cent, and is trading at 6 cents per share, as of 9:55am EST.
