ENA Respiratory said that it has raised up to AU$32 million for development of its INNA-051 pegylated TLR2/6 agonist nasal spray for the prevention of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, and plans to initiate a Phase 1 study of the nasal spray within a few weeks. In September 2020, the company announced a preclinical study demonstrated that INNA-051 reduced replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by as much as 96% in a ferret model.
ENA Respiratory co-founder and CEO Christophe Demaison commented, “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health crisis worldwide. Alongside vaccines, there is a need for complementary approaches to help protect the most vulnerable people and also provide protection against emerging variants. INNA-051 is seeking to address this need. The financing announced today from the Minderoo Foundation and existing investors will expedite development of INNA-051 with the aim to demonstrate efficacy against COVID-19 in the clinic.”
Chairman Chris Smith added, “We recognize that in addition to vaccines, the world needs safe, convenient, broad-spectrum anti-viral therapies to win the fight against COVID-19. INNA-051 could be incredibly helpful in protecting at-risk populations such as health workers, the elderly and immunocompromised patients against existing and emerging variants. Because INNA-051 is not virus-specific, it could also play a key role beyond fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, in combating seasonal flu or any future respiratory viral outbreaks.”
Read the ENA Respiratory press release.
