Charlottetown-based life sciences company AffinityImmuno Inc. is teaming up with the University of Western Ontario to conduct animal tests on a compound they believe can battle COVID-related viruses.

Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Jonathan and Amir Zuccolo, AffinityImmuno specializes in antibodies, which are proteins used by the human body’s immune system to search out “foreign invaders” like viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. Once the antibodies detect these invaders, other parts of the immune system set out to destroy them.

On a whim, the Zuccolos recently investigated some natural substances they had on hand and discovered they included a number of small molecule antivirals for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

AffinityImmuno and Western will now test the lead compound – known as AI-001 – for toxicity and efficacy in the hopes of producing an antiviral medication that can be used against the virus.

“The long-term goal is that we’re going to get this thing tested as a human health product,” said Jonathan Zuccolo in an interview.

AffinityInnumo last year was working on an antibody that would prohibit the COVID-19 virus from binding to ACE2 receptors, from which the virus attacks internal organs. It had a surplus of biological material and the founders decided to run tests on it. They got several hits, so they began to investigate certain compounds for their effectiveness in the anti-COVID fight.

They ended up filing a provisional patent on AI-001, which will now be tested on mice at Western. AffinityImmuno is financing the tests through non-dilutive funding from such sources as NRC IRAP and Innovation PEI, as well as revenues from its core business.

The team at London, Ont.-based Western is first testing AI-001 for toxicity, then conducting trials lasting about six days to study its effects on SARS-CoV-2. The trials will give the mice the compound at the same time they are introduced to the virus, and at specific points of time afterward. The aim is to assess whether the compound can help prevent people from contracting COVID-19 or be used as a treatment once they contract it.

Zuccolo is confident that there will be no problems with toxicity, and that the compound can be effective in battling SARS-CoV-2 variants.

If the results are positive, the Zuccolos will work with mentors to try to select a partner to develop the compound into a medical product.

“We’re not a drug discovery company – we’re too small to do this alone,” said Jonathan Zuccolo, whose company has only three employees. “When we have the results, we’re going to look at partnering with a major pharmaceutical company.”

Meanwhile, the venture is continuing to grow its core business of providing R&D support for drug discovery companies, often engineering custom antibodies for them. AffinityImmuno now has about 30 distributors and more than 60 customers around the world, from advanced economies like Britain and the U.S. to emerging nations like Egypt and Morocco.