New nasal treatment can protect people from COVID-19

September 30, 2020

A new nasal remedy developed to boost the natural human immune system to combat the common cold and flu has been significantly successful in reducing the results of the COVID-19 virus replication test announced today. Became clear.

Developed by Australian biotechnology company Ena Respiratory, the new product INNA-051 is a gold standard animal study led by Professor Miles Carroll, Deputy Director of Public Health Services (PHE), which replicates up to 96 viruses. % Reduced. On bioRxiv, a pre-publication research site for biomedicine.

The INNA-051 compound works by stimulating the natural immune system, which is the first line of defense against the entry of pathogens into the body. This enhanced immune response with INNA-051 prior to infection dramatically reduced the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect and replicate animals, as PHE studies have shown. This study provides evidence that INNA-051 can be used as an independent method of antiviral prophylactic therapy that complements the vaccine program.

We are amazed at how effective our treatment was. By enhancing the ferret’s natural immune response with our treatment, we have seen rapid eradication of the virus. If humans respond in the same way, there are two benefits to treatment. Individuals exposed to the virus will probably get rid of it rapidly, with treatment that ensures that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms. This is especially relevant for vulnerable members of the community. In addition, this speed of response means that infected individuals are less likely to pass it on, which means that the infection in the community is stopped quickly. “

Dr. Christoph Demaison, Managing Director of Ena Respiratory

Ena Respiratory has raised A $ 11.7 million from Australian investors. With successful toxicity testing and regulatory approval, the company may be ready to test INNA-051 in human clinical trials within four months.

Investment and support for the development of new treatments is led by the Australian Medical Research and Commercialization Fund (MRCF), Australia’s largest life sciences investment fund managed by Brandon Capital, and co-invested by the University Commercialization Fund Uniseed. .. The company is urgently seeking additional funding to accelerate the clinical development and global distribution of nasal drops.

Dr. Chris Nave, CEO of MRCF and co-founder of Brandon Capital, said these very promising results mean that INNA-051 is an exciting front runner in the fight to beat COVID-19. .. “We are doing everything we can to support Ena Respiratory and its quest to secure additional investment to accelerate the development and testing of human therapies. Vaccines are ultimately COVID. An important solution to combat -19, but the government has developed different therapeutic approaches to ensure different options in case the vaccine turns out to be elusive or takes a long time to develop. need to do it.”

INNA-051 is a small synthetic molecule, self-administered via an easy-to-use nasal spray, taken once or twice a week, and the treatment is almost immediate. Given the successful human trials and the unprecedented need for drugs to combat COVID-19, this prophylactic immunomodulatory therapy could be manufactured rapidly on a large scale and ready for immediate use. There is.

“This is an important step forward as the world is competing to find solutions to prevent COVID-19 infection and infection of at-risk populations,” said Ena Breath, a respiratory specialist. Professor Roberto Solari, an advisor to the vessel and a visiting professor at Imperial College London, said. “The most exciting thing is that INNA-051 has the ability to significantly reduce viral levels in the nose and throat, and this treatment is COVID by infected people, especially those who are presymptomatic or asymptomatic and unaware of the infection- 19 We hope it has the potential to reduce infections, “says Professor Solari.

INNA-051 gives real hope to those participating in the frontline battle with COVID-19, says Dr. Chris Smith, Ena Respiratory Board Director and Senior Investment Manager at Brandon Capital. .. “This treatment offers great potential to protect the most vulnerable, including those with existing respiratory illnesses and the elderly who are less effective with vaccines.”

INNA-051 was developed prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 to promote resistance to a broader respiratory virus epidemic. Unlike vaccines that target specific strains, INNA-051 is designed to be effective against all types of respiratory infections.

“Our nasal treatment has amazing potential to fight COVID-19 and future pandemics,” continues Dr. Smith. We know that vaccination is often the most attractive approach to combating the respiratory virus epidemic, but vaccines provoke specific reactions in the adaptive immune system, leading to future mutations in the virus. This method is often challenging, as it can be ineffective. INNA-051 is effective against a wide range of viruses because it utilizes a non-specific innate immune response. “

“As the first investor alongside Uniseed, MRCF found great potential in managing the outbreak of respiratory viruses in INNA-051 before the COVID-19 era, just as we are experiencing today. But initially we focused on the flu, “continues Dr. Nave. .. “We are now excited to be able to devote our efforts to the fight against COVID-19. This remedy is not only for this pandemic, but for future viral respiratory outbreaks. It has great potential to play an important role in. “

Authors of this study include scientists from the British Public Health Service (PHE), Ena Respiratory, and major Australian research institutes, the Hunter Medical Institute, Newcastle, and the University of Melbourne.

These are very exciting results, demonstrating the potential clinical usefulness of Ena drugs in the treatment of COVID-19, and may require multiple therapeutic approaches. It also emphasizes the value of promoting commercialization in the early stages of research, which can have global impact. “

Uniseed, CEO, Dr. Peter Devine

Download here an animation that explains how the treatment works: https://innavac.box.com/s/x88k1wecf7qyowci332ar97avivsrnpx