Kintor Pharmaceutical COVID-19 Drug Proxalutamide Shows Promise in Phase 3 Study

China-based Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical said that its investigational COVID-19 treatment, proxalutamide, has shown positive results in a late-stage trial in nonhospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections.

The drug is a nonsteroidal inhibitor of androgen receptor proteins, which blocks the effects of male sex hormones in the body. It is usually used as a hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

The phase 3 clinical trial enrolled 733 participants who were randomized to receive either 200 mg proxalutamide once daily plus standard of care or placebo plus standard of care. Patients treated for more than seven days with proxalutamide had a significantly reduced rate of hospitalization and death, the company said.