Australian clinical-stage pharmaceutical company ENA Respiratory has been awarded an additional $3.8 million contract from the US Department of Defense (DOD) to support ongoing research and development of INNA-051, a first-in-class, intranasal, innate immune modulator for the prevention of complications associated with respiratory viral infections in at-risk populations.
The new funding adds to the $4.38 million initial DOD funding the company announced in January 2023, which has been used to implement INNA-051 manufacturing on a larger scale. The funds also supported the development of a dry powder formulation that is expected to provide long-term stability of at least 24 months at room temperature.
The new funding will support the non-clinical toxicology and safety studies needed to enable a seasonal prophylaxis Phase IIb study to demonstrate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of intranasal INNA-051 in preventing respiratory illness in people aged 65 or older.
“Early studies validated the safety of INNA-051 and provided proof of pharmacology by accelerating virus clearance and boosting host defense responses against common respiratory viruses,” said Dr Christophe Demaison, Co-founder and CEO of ENA Respiratory. “We are grateful for the US DOD support and look forward to continuing to study INNA-051 in preventing respiratory illnesses, especially in those at greatest risk of exposure, complications, or hospitalisation.”
