Why did Synairgen commission the Porton Down IVs ?9 Apr 2024 21:09
1. As part of the background prep for the P2s and Synairgen's desire for SNG001 to be seen as a multi viral agent - the company decides that a new and unimpeachable set of UKHSA IV assays is an affordable and neat way of tidying up the Covid data and showing multi efficacy. The work is affordable - at a time of dwindling resources - and clean. It will use this package in support of ongoing regualtory approvals for the new trials and in future development of the drug, specifically for Covid but also to support the broad spectrum argument. And the data created is now UKHSA data - with Synairgen playing no part in the analysis. ( Amanda Horton says " I’ll be presenting some of our #antiviral #SARSCoV2 data " OUR being the key word )
and/or
2. Something is brewing in terms of UKHSA's relationship with Synairgen. The IVs are funded by Synairgen but could have been suggested by someone else. Perhaps an important supporter or supporters at the heart of the UK medical establishment - who may susequentlybecome a sponsor.
Certainly more possibilities than these two - but I think these are the main options for us to consider.
It would clearly be more impressive and encouraging if the work had been instigated by UKHSA - but it's actually more encouraging for me to look at Option 1 - and to consider that this is the first tangible evidence of an unfolding strategy. It's minor, in the sense that anyone who needs to know will already know that SNG has survived the pandemic intact and not been deleted in the way that every Mab and some Vaccines have by the evolving virus - but it's also clever and timely.
Apart from the protease inhibitors that now provide the first line for defence for at-risk patients , but come with certain asterisks - there is still nothing that can genuinely call itself variant agnostic in te age of C19 except SNG001. And because we have the COPD data too - the case is already more than half made that SNG will work against every other respiratory virus.
The questions since the failure of Sprinter have been: Can they find the right patients, can they adminster the drug at the right time, how well will those vulnerable patients do with SNG versus soc, and ( selfishly) whether anything of the original company and our investment will remain at the end of the long process.