Sorrento Announces Promising Results in a Publication Detailing of Salicyn-30 and Other Salicylanilides in Reducing SARS-CoV‑2 Replication and Suppressing Induction of Inflammatory Cytokines in a Rodent Model

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE, “Sorrento”), in collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute of La Jolla, today announced that the American Chemical Society has published the article “Salicylanilides Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Suppress Induction of Inflammatory Cytokines in a Rodent Model,” which describes a salicylanilide library screened in a SARS-CoV-2 cell activity assay.

Based on this screening effort, the most efficacious derivative (Salicyn-30) was further evaluated in a prophylactic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This analysis demonstrated that Salicyn-30 can potentially reduce viral loads, modulate key cytokines, and mitigate severe weight loss involved in COVID-19 infections. Moreover, based on their mechanism of action, Salicyn-30 and other lead compounds may be equally effective against recent emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. The combination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, cytokine inhibitory activity, variant indifference and a previously established favorable pharmacokinetic profile for the lead Salicyn-30 renders salicylanilides in general, and Salicyn-30 in particular, as promising therapeutics for COVID-19.

The full paper is available to read at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00253.

About Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.

Sorrento is a clinical stage, antibody-centric, biopharmaceutical company developing new therapies to treat cancers and COVID-19. Sorrento’s multimodal, multipronged approach to fighting cancer is made possible by its extensive immuno-oncology platforms, including key assets such as fully human antibodies (“G-MAB™ library”), clinical stage immuno-cellular therapies (“CAR-T”, “DAR-T™”), antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”), and clinical stage oncolytic virus (“Seprehvir™”). Sorrento is also developing potential antiviral therapies and vaccines against coronaviruses, including COVIGUARD™, COVI-AMG™, COVISHIELD™, Gene-MAb™, COVI-MSC™ and COVIDROPS™; and diagnostic test solutions, including COVITRACK™, COVISTIX™ and COVITRACE™.

Sorrento’s commitment to life-enhancing therapies for patients is also demonstrated by our effort to advance a first-in-class (TRPV1 agonist) non-opioid pain management small molecule, resiniferatoxin (“RTX”), and SP-102 (10 mg, dexamethasone sodium phosphate viscous gel) (SEMDEXA™), a novel, viscous gel formulation of a widely used corticosteroid for epidural injections to treat lumbosacral radicular pain, or sciatica, and to commercialize ZTlido^® (lidocaine topical system) 1.8% for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia. RTX has completed a Phase 1B trial for intractable pain associated with cancer and a Phase 1B trial in osteoarthritis patients. SEMDEXA is in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain, or sciatica. ZTlido^® was approved by the FDA on February 28, 2018.

For more information visit www.sorrentotherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any statements made for and during any presentation or meeting contain forward-looking statements related to Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Sorrento’s pipeline and plans with respect to its pre-clinical COVID-19 programs, including Salicyn-30; the pharmacokinetic profile of Salicyn-30; the potential for Salicyn-30 to reduce viral load, modulate key cytokines and mitigate severe weight loss involved in COVID-19 infections; the potential that Salicyn-30 and other lead salicylanilides will be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants; and the therapeutic potential of Saliycn-30 and other lead salicylanilides in treating COVID-19. Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in our forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to: risks related to Sorrento’s technologies and prospects, including, but not limited to risks related to seeking regulatory approval for Saliycn-30; clinical development risks, including risks in the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; risk of difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals; risks that clinical study results may not meet any or all endpoints of a clinical study and that any data generated from such studies may not support a regulatory submission or approval; risks that prior test, study and trial results may not be replicated in future studies and trials; risks of manufacturing and supplying drug product; risks related to leveraging the expertise of its employees, subsidiaries, affiliates and partners to assist Sorrento in the execution of its therapeutic antibody product candidate strategies; risks related to the global impact of COVID-19; and other risks that are described in Sorrento’s most recent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Sorrento’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors set forth in those filings. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release except as required by law.

Media and Investor Relations Contact
Alexis Nahama, DVM (SVP Corporate Development)
Email: mediarelations@sorrentotherapeutics.com

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G-MAB™, DAR-T™, SOFUSA™, COVIGUARD™, COVI-AMG™, COVISHIELD™, Gene-MAb™, COVIDROPS™, COVI-MSC™, COVITRACK™, COVITRACE™ and COVISTIX™ are trademarks of Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.

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