Jubilant Therapeutics Inc, a patient-centric biopharmaceutical company, has collaborated with The Wistar Institute, an independent, non-profit research institution in biomedical science, to assess the ability of Peptidyl Arginine Deiminase 4 (PAD4) inhibitors to block neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in the context of COVID-19 related cytokine storms, it was reported on Friday.

PAD4 is an enzyme that catalyses the conversion of arginine to citrulline in proteins including histones and has been highly expressed in NET formation. According to certain evidences, NET is likely to be connected to the severity of COVID-19, as their formation is an outcome of pro-inflammatory cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or cytokine storms, developed by the body's immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Syed Kazmi, president and chief executive officer of Jubilant Therapeutics, said, 'We are very pleased to announce our collaboration with the renowned Wistar Institute. Even with COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, we know its wrath will persist for some time to come and the need to reduce its death toll remains critical. Beyond COVID-19, understanding the potential of PAD4 inhibitors to address aberrant NET formation will be important due to their role in the pathogenesis of many disease states beyond viral infections.'