Genentech’s Pulmozyme may also treat other respiratory infections and diseases
Researchers from University College London (UCL), UCL Hospital (UCLH) and the Francis Crick Institute have found that a drug commonly used to treat cystic fibrosis has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
According to the results of a clinical trial published in 2011, E-Life Genentech’s Pulmozyme (dornase alfa), which is backed by LifeArc, may also treat other respiratory infections, including those caused by influenza and bacterial pneumonia, as well as lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis.
COVID-19 pneumonia, a complication of COVID-19, is a lung infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the lungs to become inflamed and fill with fluid.
The researchers aimed to determine whether Pulmozyme could improve outcomes for 39 patients who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and required oxygen.
Approximately 30 patients were randomized to receive Pulmozyme administered twice daily by nebulizer in addition to best available therapy (BAC), which includes dexamethasone, and nine patients were randomized to receive BAC alone.
Measurement of C-reactive protein levels in the blood for seven days, or until the patients were discharged from the hospital, showed that in addition to the reduction provided by dexamethasone, patients treated with Pulmozyme experienced a 33% reduction in systemic inflammation.
The researchers aim to conduct larger clinical trials to determine whether Pulmozyme is safe and effective in treating severe COVID-19 pneumonia, with the possibility that the drug may also be tested for other respiratory infections and diseases.
“[Pulmozyme]can be used to treat a wider range of patients and gets to the heart of the inflammatory response. Based on these results, we believe it will be a valuable tool to tackle severe COVID-19 disease,” said Dr Venizelos Papayannopoulos, lead author of the study from the Francis Crick Institute.
Prof Joanna Porter, lead author of the study from the London Hospital School of Medicine and London Health Sciences Centre, University of London, said: “If we can help patients recover faster and get them home sooner, that’s great for them and will help ease the strain on the NHS.”
