Synairgen says COVID treatment has shown potent antiviral activity against two variants

Synairgen PLC (LON:SNG) said lab tests of its inhaled interferon beta, which is being developed to treat people with severe effects of COVID, has shown “potent antiviral activity” against two new variants of the SARS-CoV-2.

The lab tests of SNG001 also demonstrated the “broad-spectrum antiviral activity”, which bodes well for its use across a number of respiratory viruses.

The “in vitro” experiments were carried out to assess the drug’s potential efficacy against the Kent and South African COVID mutations.

They found SNG001 “potently reduced” the virus to undetectable levels in cells infected with the Wuhan-like Coronavirus as well as the two strains.

Synairgen co-founder, professor Sir Stephen Holgate, said: “Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 are of great concern as they may negatively impact on the effectiveness of current vaccines and therapeutics.

“These data are not surprising, and confirm the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of SNG001, which has shown activity against a range of respiratory viruses such as RSV, rhinovirus, adenovirus and influenza, and reassuringly confirm its activity against these SARS-CoV-2 variants.”

Holgate said the latter point was important in the context of the company’s ongoing phase III trial in hospitalised patients as well as the future use of the treatment against the Coronavirus and “other emerging viral threats”.

Story by ProactiveInvestors