Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. announced that the first patient has enrolled into an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) of its investigational drug, Silmitasertib, as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Banner Health-University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona (BUMCP). This IIT is a Phase II multi-center, open-label, randomized, controlled interventional prospective study. BUMCP intends to enroll 40 patients with severe COVID-19, where half will receive Silmitasertib for 14 days. Senhwa's Silmitasertib is an oral medication, targeting the host protein kinase CK2 (casein kinase 2), where virus mutations are unlikely to affect its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory efficacy. It is thought that Silmitasertib challenges the virus' ability to replicate quickly and spread to nearby healthy cells.