In a new study, researchers found that a new drug that primes the immune system in the respiratory tract and is in development for COVID-19 shows it is also effective against rhinovirus.
Rhinovirus is the most common respiratory virus, the main cause of the common cold, and is responsible for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The team found the drug, known as INNA-X, is effective in a pre-clinical infection model and in human airway cells.
Treatment with INNA-X prior to infection with rhinovirus strongly reduced viral load and inhibited harmful inflammation.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
The team says INNA-X showed great promise as a new way to protect people from diseases caused by common respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus.
These diseases range from the common cold to potentially life-threatening exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases, which cost the global economy billions of dollars each year.
INNA-X has been also shown to be highly effective at reducing virus shedding of SARS-CoV-2 and human trials of the drug will begin in Australia in the coming weeks.
The team says that if found protective, this could be used by at-risk populations including elderly or asthma patients, to reduce the severity of rhinovirus, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses’ infections in conjunction with vaccine approaches.
One author of the study is Associate Professor Nathan Bartlett.
The study is published in European Respiratory Journal.
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