NEW YORK, April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AIkido Pharma Inc.
(Nasdaq: AIKI) ("AIkido" or the "Company") today announced that Dr.
Matthew Frieman has joined the
Company's Scientific Advisory Board.
"Dr. Frieman is a world-class
scientist and inventor. His research is truly cutting edge
and his work is advancing the science in this tremendously
important field," commented Mr.
Anthony Hayes, CEO of AIkido. "We
are honored to have him join our team of advisors and work more
directly in our efforts to advance the development his technology,
that we previously licensed. The coronavirus is still a
notable issue that continues to impact society and we are very
proud to be supporting Dr. Frieman's work."
Dr. Frieman is an Associate Professor in The Department of
Microbiology and Immunology at The University
of Maryland School of Medicine and an internationally
recognized virologist with expertise in coronaviruses for which he
has studies since 2004. Specifically, he specializes in the
highly pathogenic coronaviruses that include severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) which emerged in 2003,
Middle East respiratory syndrome
coronavirus (MERS-CoV) which emerged in 2012 and SARS-CoV-2, which
emerged in 2019.
Dr. Frieman's research interests span from basic science into
translating those findings to human therapies. His work on
coronavirus replication derives from his interest in studying how
the virus interacts with the cellular machinery during
infection. He has identified SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV encoded
proteins that alter the host response to infection including
proteins that block the innate immune response to allow the virus
to replicate silently without the cell sensing that a virus was
there. Some of these viral proteins inhibit the interferon
induction and signaling while other reverse the cells proteins that
retain coronaviruses at the surface of the cell. These
findings have also been used by Dr. Frieman to identify cellular
proteins that interact with the coronavirus proteins to try and
block these actions. He is now developing novel compounds
that target the host proteins so that they can counteract the
pro-viral function of the coronavirus proteins. He has shown
that this cellular target, the SKI complex, plays a role in many
viruses, such that the novel compounds he has identified inhibit
SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, Influenza virus, Ebolavirus and Marburg
virus. This work is continuing to identify more potent
inhibitors of this complex for use in animal models and eventually
humans.
About AIkido Pharma Inc.
AIkido Pharma Inc. was initially formed in 1967 and is a
biotechnology Company with a diverse portfolio of small-molecule
anti-cancer therapeutics. The Company's platform consists of
patented technology from leading universities and researchers, and
we are currently in the process of developing an innovative
therapeutic drug platform through strong partnerships with world
renowned educational institutions, including The University of
Texas at
Austin and University of Maryland at Baltimore. Our diverse pipeline of
therapeutics includes therapies for pancreatic cancer and prostate
cancer. We are constantly seeking to grow our pipeline to treat
unmet medical needs in oncology. The Company is also
developing a broad-spectrum antiviral platform that may potentially
inhibit replication of multiple viruses including Influenza virus,
SARS-CoV (coronavirus), MERS-CoV, Ebolavirus and Marburg virus.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal
securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should,"
"believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue,"
"predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar
expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current
expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company
believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue
reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking
statements, which are based on information available to us on the
date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based
upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various
risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set
forth in the Company's filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk
Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual
results could be materially different. The Company expressly
disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law.
Contact:
Investor Relations:
Hayden IR
Brett Maas, Managing
Partner
Phone: (646) 536-7331
Email: brett@haydenir.com
www.haydenir.com
AIkido Pharma Inc.:
Phone: 212-745-1373
Email: investorrelations@aikidopharma.com
www.aikidopharma.com
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SOURCE AIkido Pharma Inc.