A SOUTHAMPTON company is developing a new drug that could boost survival rates among patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19.
Synairgen, based at University Hospital Southampton, is evaluating the potential of SNG001, which aims to reduce the risk of coronavirus victims becoming severely ill or dying.
Clinical trials involving more than 600 patients have produced encouraging results.
In the 1970s Prof Sir Stephen Holgate began investigating how respiratory viruses can cause serious illness. He was joined by fellow University of Southampton professors Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic and together they formed Synairgen in 2003.
"Ground-breaking" research showed the importance to the human respiratory system of a naturally occurring protein called interferon beta (IFN-β).
Now Synairgen is developing an inhaled version that directly targets the lungs, the primary site of Covid-19 and other viral infections.
Phillip Monk, chief scientific officer of Synairgen, cited evidence that SNG001 might help prevent severe disease or death.
Tom Wilkinson, professor of respiratory medicine, University of Southampton, added: "The improvement in standards of care for Covid-19 means most patients are currently discharged fairly rapidly from hospital.
"However, some struggle in their battle with the virus and show signs of respiratory compromise, with faster breathing rates and lower oxygen saturations, despite being on oxygen.
"For these higher-risk patients there remains an urgent need for new treatment options and analysis suggests SNG001 could be a potentially efficacious treatment option."
Synairgen is a biotech company that aims to develop new treatments for Covid-19 and other severe viral lung infections.
Its website says: "There remains an urgent clinical need for new therapies to treat hospitalised COVID-19 patients in order to prevent worsening of the disease, accelerate hospital discharge and enable patients to quickly return to usual activities.
"Despite vaccination programmes and the availability of new early interventions, thousands of patients are being hospitalised with Covid-19 every day.
"There is no magic bullet to end the pandemic. It will require a full set of tools and treatments to meet the needs of different types of patients at different stages of the disease."
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here