Respiratory specialist
Synairgen plc (LON:SNG) has received approval to test its lead candidate to treat patients with coronavirus.
SNG001 is an inhaled interferon beta drug candidate designed for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are also suffering cold or flu infections.
Earlier studies have shown treatment activated antiviral pathways in the lung along with improving lung function for sufferers with a respiratory viral infection. The drug is also well tolerated.
Synairgen's phase II trial in COVID-19 patients will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, starting with an initial 100 people.
LOXL2
The company’s Australian partner has completed phase I trials and toxicology on a LOXL2 inhibitor developed by Synairgen.
This now paves the way for Pharmaxis to advance discussions with potential partners for the drug, which has been developed to treat non-alcoholic liver disease (NASH) and a rare lung condition.
The company retains a 17% “carried interest” in the asset.
Synairgen’s BioBank
Over the years, Synairgen has accumulated an extensive bank comprised of blood, sputum, nasal lavage, biopsies, bronchial epithelial cells and fibroblasts from volunteers with asthma or COPD. Using this resource, the company has developed a number of advanced tissue models.
It uses these models to:
- Discover novel drug targets
- Identify disease-related lesions and underlying molecular mechanisms
- Conduct proof of concept testing and validation of novel drug targets
- Conduct screening assays for novel drug targets and lead target selection
- Provide support for clinical trial activities
What the boss says: Richard Marsden, chief executive
"We have worked intensively with the relevant authorities and collaborators to enable SNG001 to be assessed in COVID-19 patients. SNG001 has been well-tolerated in clinical trials in over 200 respiratory patients to date and has accelerated lung function recovery in two Phase II asthma trials in patients with a cold or flu infection."
“A successful outcome from this trial in COVID-19 patients would be a major breakthrough in the fight against this coronavirus pandemic."
