Hopes for coronavirus drug developed by St Andrews Uni spin-out firm

A new anti-viral drug developed by a St Andrews University spin-out company has had positive results in lab tests against Covid-19.

Pneumagen Ltd today announced results from three separate in vitro studies into preventing coronavirus infections, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, the cause of Covid-19.

The successful studies involved both treating infection and blocking new infections.

Pneumagen now wants to begin clinical testing for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: "Today's positive results from in vitro studies of our mCBMs against coronaviruses show that glycan binding has the potential to prevent and treat infection.

"This further supports the value of our universal therapeutic modality to block access to lung cells of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other viruses, that cause respiratory tract infections, providing the potential for a pan-viral respiratory product. Our goal is now to rapidly begin clinical testing for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19."