Preclinical Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Intravenous RTD-1

Severe illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by an overexuberant inflammatory response resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and progressive respiratory failure ( 1 ). Rhesus theta (θ) defensin-1 (RTD-1) is a macrocyclic host defense peptide exhibiting antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities.