Tiziana Life Sciences Ltd (NASDAQ:TLSA) announced that it expects to complete its preclinical study evaluating its nasal anti-CD3 foralumab as a potential treatment for long COVID in the second quarter of 2025.
The company said the study aims to validate foralumab’s ability to mitigate persistent brain inflammation, a key driver of the neurological and psychiatric symptoms associated with long COVID.
Research has increasingly linked COVID symptoms to sustained brain inflammation and microglial activation, which disrupts normal neurological function. PET imaging studies have confirmed heightened microglial activity in long COVID patients, the company noted.
Foralumab, a fully human, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, has shown promise in previous studies for its immunomodulatory properties.
Tiziana previously tested the nasal administration of foralumab in COVID-19 patients, demonstrating its ability to reduce lung inflammation while maintaining a strong safety profile.
“Long COVID has challenged the medical community with its complexity, but targeting microglial activation through nasal anti-CD3 presents a promising therapeutic avenue,” Tiziana’s CEO Ivor Elrifi said in a statement.
“A study in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis showed both clinical improvement and decreased microglial activation via TSPO PET imaging, providing a solid foundation for this Long COVID hypothesis. Importantly, nasal anti-CD3 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events.”
Beyond COVID-19, Tiziana’s anti-CD3 platform has also been explored for central nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease, further supporting its potential in treating neuroinflammatory conditions.
Shares of Tiziana were up 4% by midday Tuesday in New York.