Synairgen PLC (LON:SNG) has inked an agreement that will make available to patients an experimental drug that has shown early promise tackling the worst symptoms of the COVID-19.
The managed access programme for SNG001, an inhaled interferon-beta treatment, is being organised by Clinigen PLC (LON:CLIN), a specialist in this field.
A phase II trial of SNG001 delivered “positive” top-line data over the summer, which was followed earlier this month by supportive interim analysis of the results.
Chief executive Richard Marsden said the Synairgen team was “working tirelessly to progress SNG001 through the required clinical and regulatory channels to make this potentially critical treatment widely available to COVID-19 patients around the world”.
“In the meantime, we are delighted to partner with Clinigen, whose extensive European experience and regulatory expertise will support access to treatment with SNG001 for hospitalised patients who most urgently need it,” he added.
In a separate announcement covering the company’s interim results, Synairgen said it is “fully focused on expediting the next steps” for SNG001 in COVID-19.
In this regard, it is in discussions with regulatory agencies to “set out a route to approval, and separately working with our manufacturing partners to achieve meaningful scale-up”.
The results statement revealed the company spent £4.47mln on research and development in the six months to June 30, which funded the SNG001 clinical trial and scale-up activities. It posted a loss of just over £5mln for the period.
More importantly, it exited the first half with cash of £10.9mln.
CEO Marsden said: “With further positive results from our interim analysis of SNG001 in COPD announced in September, we feel well-equipped to realise our strategy of progressing inhaled interferon beta for the treatment of respiratory viruses."