Synairgen treatment reduces risk of 'severe' Covid-19 by 79%

Synairgen's Covid-19 treatment sharply reduced the risk of patients developing severe forms of the illness provoked by the novel coronavirus, clinical trials showed.

The company said that SNG001, an inhaled formulation of interferon beta-1, reduced the risk of becoming severely ill by 79% and that those administered the treatment were more than twice as likely to recover from Covid-19

Commenting on the news, Richard Marsden, the company's boss, said the trial results could mark a "major breakthrough" in the treatment of hospitalised patients, reducing the risk that they might pass from requiring oxygen support to needing a ventilator.

SNG001 was also shown to significantly reduce breathlessness and to more than double the chances of recovery to the point that infected patients ability to conduct everyday activities was not compromised.

A total of 220 patients took part in the double-blind placebo controlled trial, including 101 located in 9 specialist hospital sites across the UK with the remainder treated in a home setting.

The study was conducted between 30 March and 27 May.

Both those who received SNG001 and those given a placebo were approximately 57 years old on average with comorbidities and had exhibited Covid-19 symptoms for just under 10 days before being dosed or given the placebo.

Three of the patients on the placebo died but all of those treated with SNG001 survived.

Synairgen added that no evidence was found of a link between the positive effects of SNG001 and the "prior duration of COVID-19 symptoms".