Prophylactic intranasal administration of a TLR2/6 agonist reduces upper respiratory tract viral shedding in a SARS-CoV-2 challenge ferret model
Pamela C. Proud, Daphne Tsitoura, Robert J. Watson, Brendon Y. Chua, Marilyn Aram, Kevin R. Bewley, Breeze E. Cavell, Rebecca Cobb, Stuart Dowall, Susan Fotheringham, Catherine M. K. Ho, Vanessa Lucas, Didier Ngabo, Emma Rayner, Kathryn A. Ryan, Gillian S. Slack, Stephen R. Thomas, Nadina Wand, Paul Yeates, Christophe Demaison, Weiguang Zeng, Ian Holmes, David C. Jackson, Nathan W. Bartlett, Francesca Mercuri, Miles W. Carroll
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a major ongoing global threat with huge economic burden. Like all respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 initiates infection in the upper respiratory tract (URT). Infected individuals are often asymptomatic, yet highly infectious and readily transmit virus. A therapy that restricts initial replication in the URT has the potential to prevent progression of severe lower respiratory tract disease as well as limiting person-to-person transmission. METHODS: pfu/ml. Treatment groups received intranasal INNA-051, developed by Ena Respiratory. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using the 2019-nCoV CDC RUO Kit and QuantStudio™ 7 Flex Real-Time PCR System. Histopathological analysis was performed using cut tissues stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). FINDINGS: We show that prophylactic intra-nasal administration of the TLR2/6 agonist INNA-051 in a SARS-CoV-2 ferret infection model effectively reduces levels of viral RNA in the nose and throat. After 5 days post-exposure to SARS-CoV-2, INNA-051 significantly reduced virus in throat swabs (p=<0.0001) by up to a 24 fold (96% reduction) and in nasal wash (p=0.0107) up to a 15 fold (93% reduction) in comparison to untreated animals. INTERPRETATION: The results of our study support clinical development of a therapy based on prophylactic TLR2/6 innate immune activation in the URT, to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and provide protection against COVID-19. FUNDING: This work was funded by Ena Respiratory, Melbourne, Australia.