Synairgen focuses on potentially breakthrough coronavirus treatment now at last stage of trials

Synairgen is a respiratory drug discovery and development company founded by University of Southampton Professors Stephen Holgate, Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic.

The business, focused primarily on lung viral defence in asthma and COPD, uses its differentiating human biology BioBank platform and world-renowned international academic KOL network to discover and develop novel therapies for respiratory disease.

Synairgen is currently running a Phase II trial evaluating SNG001 in COPD patients and announced on 18 March 2020 a Phase II trial with SNG001 in COVID-19 patients to potentially assist with the global outbreak.

(, ) said its anti-viral treatment for severe lung infections will advance to the final stage of trials as part of a US government-sponsored programme.

The external data safety monitoring board of the ACTIV-2 study recommended Synairgen’s SNG001 go to Phase III trials in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.

SNG001 is a formulation for inhalation containing the broad-spectrum anti-viral protein interferon beta, a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body’s antiviral responses.

ACTIV-2 is testing treatments in non-hospitalised adults experiencing mild to moderate COVID-19 and is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health.

(, ) has appointed Gareth Walters, who brings 30 years’ expertise in global regulatory strategy, to the newly-created role of chief regulatory officer in preparation for regulatory submissions for its SNG001 product.

Chief executive Richard Marsden said: “His experience and expertise in global regulatory strategy will be invaluable as we prepare for SNG001 regulatory submissions.”

Synairgen PLC (AIM:SNG, OTC:SYGGF, FRA:OMY) said the Phase III trial of its SNG001 inhaled, broad-spectrum antiviral is progressing well and it expects to enrol the last patient in November. Top line results are expected in early 2022.

In a statement alongside interim results, Synairgen said its clinical trial team, working alongside clinical research organization Parexel, has gained trial approvals in 17 countries and initiated over 100 trial sites despite the challenges posed by Coronavirus (COVID-19)-related restrictions. SNG001 is designed to treat COVID-19 amongst other conditions.

An upsurge in investor demand for healthcare and biotechnology stocks in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has been likened to the heady days of the ‘tech boom’ in the late 1990s by one broker.

Andy Thacker at Turner Pope Investments told Proactive that the demand for healthcare stocks among investors was reminiscent of the tech boom in the fact that “investors didn’t want to look at anything else”.

Synairgen PLC‘s (LON:SNG) latest data from trials of Covid-19 treatment SNG001 has increased the likelihood of a positive read-out from the phase III trial underway currently in hospitalised patients, finnCap said.

The broker added it was sticking with its share price target of 505p and is awaiting the read-out from the phase III trial in the second half of 2021.

Today’s results were from a study of people with SARS-CoV-2 treated at home with SNG001 as well as data from a combined analysis of the hospital and home cohort.

(, ) (AIM:SNG, ) CEO Richard Marsden joins Proactive London’s Katie Pilbeam after the news that their antiviral treatment for severe lung infections will advance to the final stage of trials as part of a US government-sponsored programme.

The external data safety monitoring board of the ACTIV-2 study recommended Synairgen’s SNG001 go to Phase III trials in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients. SNG001 is a formulation for inhalation containing the broad-spectrum anti-viral protein interferon beta, a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body’s antiviral responses.

As well as the ACTIV-2 trial, Marsden updates on their own Phase III trial, called SPRINTER, which is assessing SNG001 in hospitalised COVID-19 patients and expects to publish top-line results in early 2022.