Zentek Ltd. Reports Promising Preclinical Results for C19HBA Aptamer

Zentek Ltd., a Canadian intellectual property technology company, has announced that its subsidiary, Triera Biosciences Ltd., has reported positive safety and toxicity results in preclinical testing for its C19HBA SARS-CoV-2 aptamer. This aptamer, developed on Triera's proprietary platform, has undergone tests that indicate a favorable safety profile, marking an important step towards devising a human therapeutic.

In preclinical trials, C19HBA has shown effectiveness as both a prophylactic and therapeutic agent against various SARS-CoV-2 variants, outperforming leading monoclonal antibodies in clinical protection. A recent study conducted by the Miller lab at McMaster University evaluated C19HBA's safety, wherein mice treated with the aptamer showed no significant increase in inflammatory cell levels or cytokine markers compared to control groups.

Dr. Miller's review of the studies confirms the aptamer's safety and tolerance in mice even post SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing no unwanted inflammatory responses. Greg Fenton, CEO of Zentek and Triera, expressed confidence in the platform, highlighting its potential expansion into treatments for other infectious diseases and oncology based on the promising data.

Zentek, through Triera, holds a global exclusive license for aptamer technology developed at McMaster University, aiming to expedite the development of novel treatments. The company underscores that the aptamer technology's current efficacy against COVID-19 is not yet proven for human application and requires further research.