Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB, OTCQB:POLBF) has announced positive initial data analysis, including a 'clear dose-related response, for its drug, POLB 001, a potential treatment for severe influenza.
The results were obtained from a challenge trial using bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a surrogate for the hyperinflammatory response associated with severe influenza and other diseases.
The trial involved 36 healthy volunteers, and results showed that administration of POLB 001 resulted in a marked reduction in both systemic and localised inflammatory response in subjects compared to those who received a placebo.
A clear dose-response relationship was also apparent, with the drug being well-tolerated across all doses and no serious adverse events or volunteer withdrawals being reported, Poolbeg said.
Chief executive Jeremy Skillington said POLB 001 had the potential to address the “significant unmet medical need in severe influenza and beyond”.
The full data read-out for the trial is expected in the second quarter of 2023.
However, the positive initial results are a promising sign of the potential of POLB 001 as a treatment for severe influenza and other illnesses that involve a serious immune reaction called hypercytokinemia.
One of the key advantages of the drug is its mode of action, which selectively inhibits overwhelming inflammation in viral infections while leaving necessary immune functions intact to fight the infection.
This is in contrast to other immunomodulatory approaches, such as steroids, which can affect both beneficial and damaging immune responses.
Additionally, as a shelf-stable oral drug, POLB 001 is an ideal candidate for stockpiling in the event of seasonal or pandemic outbreaks and is not affected by seasonal variants.