Synairgen RNS 29th July 201920 Mar 2020 12:33
Apologies for the length of this post. This was a Synairgen RNS from the middle of last year. Please note they were working in Phase II trials to cure Coronavirus related infections before CoVid19 had even appeared. They have specifically been working on this for years.
"An analysis of all the patients dosed to date, as a single group regardless of treatment (the
study will not be unblinded until the end of the trial), shows that cold and flu infections are
having a considerable impact on symptoms in COPD patients, as assessed using the validated
Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Score (BCSS)3
. A mean decrease in BCSS score > 1
represents substantial symptomatic improvement4
. As we are seeing an increase in mean
BCSS score >2, we have the potential to demonstrate a significant treatment effect. These
changes contrast with the most recent asthma trial, where colds had less impact on patients.
The Company is also pleased to report that the rapid point-of-care test, being used to confirm
that a patient has a viral infection, is ensuring that only the correct patients are being enrolled.
The test ensures that only those patients for whom IFN-beta therapy may be effective are
being dosed, thereby increasing the chance of the drug showing a beneficial effect. To date,
approximately 35% of patients presenting with symptoms have tested positive for a viral
infection. Viruses detected include rhinovirus, influenza, RSV, parainfluenza and coronavirus
infections.
Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, said: “Aided by the rapid point-of-care test, the trial is
successfully capturing marked changes in COPD symptoms in patients with confirmed
common cold and influenza virus infections. We have previously shown that inhaled IFN-beta
boosts the lungs’ antiviral defences in COPD patients and the magnitude of the symptom
changes being observed so far in the current trial puts us in a good position to determine the
potential benefit of inhaled IFN-beta in this patient population"