Scientists believe they have found an inhaler (pictured) that blocks the progression of coronavirus in the lungs
At a hospital in Hull, a mass study has begun with a remade multiple sclerosis drug that researchers hope will greatly reduce the chances of coronavirus patients becoming seriously ill.
The first patient in the study of a drug known as SNG001 received treatment at Hull Royal Infirmary on Tuesday.
Previous studies have produced promising results, with only 13% of patients receiving intensive care treatment compared to 22% receiving a placebo.
Patients treated with the drug were also twice as likely to recover after two weeks than those who did not, according to research from the University of Southampton.
SNG001 uses a natural protein called interferon beta that the body produces when it fights viral infections.
Interferon beta is a treatment for multiple sclerosis and is usually given by injection. But SNG001 is inhaled into the lungs using a nebulizer to trigger a stronger and more targeted anti-viral response.
Kaye Flitney was one of 98 people enrolled in last year’s clinical trial led by the University of Southampton
Scientists believe that Covid-19 stops the immune system’s ability to produce protein in large doses, with the new treatment giving the lungs an essential “recharge”.
The drug was developed by workers at Southampton University Hospital and is produced by biotechnology company Synairgen.
Treating a patient could cost around £ 2,000, which is seen as relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives.
At the Royal Hull Infirmary, Alexandra Constantin, 34, was the first person to receive treatment as part of this new trial, after being hospitalized with coronavirus on Monday, the BBC reported.
The latest study on the treatment was published in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine in November and looked at 98 hospital patients with the virus between March and May, at the height of the British epidemic.
They were divided in half, with one group receiving the new treatment and the other group receiving a placebo.
The study was performed on a double-blind basis, which means that neither the researchers nor the 98 patients knew who was receiving SNG001.
In the placebo group, 11 (22%) of 50 patients were moved to intensive care or needed mechanical ventilation after two weeks. Three eventually died.
Of those who received SNG001, only six (13%) of 48 patients developed severe disease and no deaths.
Patients treated with this drug were also twice as likely to return to full health by the end of the two-week period.
A total of 21 (44%) in the SNG001 group recovered at that time, compared with 11 (22%) patients in the placebo group.
Lead author, Professor Tom Wilkinson, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Southampton, said: “The results confirm our belief that interferon beta, a widely known drug approved for use in its injectable form for other indications, may have the potential as a drug. inhaled to restore the lung’s immune response and accelerate recovery from Covid-19.
“Inhaled interferon beta-1a provides high local concentrations of immune proteins, which stimulate lung defense, rather than targeting specific viral mechanisms.
This could bring additional benefits in treating Covid-19 infection when it occurs alongside infection with another respiratory virus, such as the flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which may be encountered in the winter months.
The authors admitted that, although promising, their study had several limitations – especially its small sample size.
There were also differences between the two groups in recruitment – patients in the SNG001 group had a more severe disease at baseline and more patients had high blood pressure.
While in the placebo group, there was a higher number of patients with diabetes and heart disease.
Diabetes and heart disease are two conditions that can make Covid-19 more dead, which could have distorted the results of the study.
Dr. Nathan Peiffer-Smadja, an expert in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Imperial College Londo, said larger studies should be able to address these limitations.
Reacting to the study, he said: “The number of patients enrolled in this pilot study is, of course, small.
In addition, this study did not show any impact of the treatment assessed in time until discharge or on mortality, although the study was obviously not fed to answer the latter question.
Therefore, larger randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.
He also added that the safety of inhaling interferon beta-1a using a nebuliser “will be of particular interest, as interferon nebulisation does not yet have a marketing authorization for any indication”.