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BBC Overview
Kaye Flitney is one of 75 people enrolled in the clinical trial.
A new drug developed by UK scientists to treat patients with Covid-19 is being tested at Southampton University Hospital.
Developed by the British biotech company Synairgen, it uses a protein called interferon beta, which our bodies make when we have a viral infection.
Initial test results are expected in late June.
There are currently few effective treatments for coronavirus with physicians who trust the immune system of patients.
What is the new medicine?
Interferon beta is part of the body’s first line of defense against viruses and warns you that it expects a viral attack, explains Richard Marsden, CEO of Southampton-based Synairgen.
He says that the coronavirus appears to suppress its production as part of his strategy to evade our immune system.
The drug is a special formulation of beta interferon administered directly to the airways when the virus is there, in the hope that a direct dose of the protein will trigger a stronger antiviral response even in patients whose immune systems are already weak.
Interferon beta is commonly used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Synairgen has already shown that its preparation can stimulate the immune response in the lungs of patients with asthma and other chronic lung conditions.
But we can only know if it works for Covid-19 patients after going through a rigorous clinical trial.
The patient
Kaye Flitney is one of 75 people who have enrolled in the clinical trial, filmed exclusively by BBC Panorama. It requires Covid-19 patients, like herself, to inhale the medication through a nebulizer to deliver it deep into the lungs.
Kaye, 67, struggles to sit on her hospital bed and coughs while raising the dispenser to her lips. She says that when she first discovered that she had coronavirus, her first thought was not for her own health.
“I was scared because my husband has heart failure. It would kill him.”
The 67-year-old woman, who was rushed to the hospital due to breathing difficulties, said taking the medication has not caused her much discomfort.
“You don’t realize you’re taking it until you’re done. It’s not that bad. You could see me taking it at home.”
How does the trial work?
The 75 volunteers involved so far have been recruited from about 10 hospitals in Britain. Half receive the medicine, the other half receive what is known as a placebo, an inactive substance.
No one involved in the trial knows which patients have received which treatment until the trial ends.
“If you know it is a drug, your mind may be biased,” explains Sandy Aitken, the nurse who administers the drug.
The hope is that it will show that patients receiving the drug do better than those who don’t, says Professor Tom Wilkinson of the University of Southampton.
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BBC Overview
BBC Justin Rowlatt with nurse Sandy Aitken by a patient’s bed
Synairgen’s drug trial is the template for a new accelerated clinical scheme that has just been established by the government.
The Accord program, as it is known, is designed to accelerate the development of new medications for patients with Covid-19.
The first phase of the program involves six other drugs.
More than 100 treatments are being explored worldwide and a drug called remdesivir, which was developed as an Ebola treatment, has generated a particular excitement.
US officials have claimed that there is “clear” evidence that it helps people recover from the coronavirus.
How far could treatment be in the UK?
Initial results of the beta interferon assay are expected in late June. But even if the drug looks promising, it will face increased scrutiny before it can be used routinely in patients.
That could take months, although the government has said it will work as quickly as possible.
If considered effective, the drug and the nebulizers used to administer it would have to be manufactured in large quantities.
Marsden says he is already talking to providers around the world about whether it will be possible to start producing the drug as soon as the clinical trial ends.
However, it says it won’t be widely available until the end of the year yet.
You can see Panorama: When will we be safe? at 7:30 p.m. BST on Monday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
