A nasal spray that aims to stop respiratory viruses in the nose has cleared an "important hurdle", University of Newcastle Professor Nathan Bartlett says.
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Prof Bartlett, of Hunter Medical Research Institute, is working with pharmaceutical company Ena Respiratory on the nose spray.
Ena said in a statement that the drug - named INNA-051 - was "found to significantly impact the course of viral infection in a phase 2a flu challenge study", which included 123 adults. The drug was also found to be safe.
The study was complicated by "lower than anticipated rates of infection in the placebo arm and an unexpectedly large proportion of participants having pre-existing immunity to the challenge strain".
Nonetheless, Prof Bartlett said the study was an "important hurdle to jump" and it means the drug will progress.
"Many drugs don't make it past phase 2."
Professor Steven Tong, of the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, said "a nasal spray that can prevent infection or reduce symptoms and spread would be a great advance".
"Without seeing the full data it is difficult to comment in detail, but what is provided in the press release looks promising.
"The results from a phase 2a challenge study are an important step, and it will now be essential to demonstrate in a large randomised clinical trial whether there is any benefit when used in the broader population."
Previous research showed the drug to be effective against the common cold and COVID-19.
Prof Bartlett said the study showed the nasal spray would protect people when taken as a preventative treatment.
He believes the drug will be most useful for "susceptible, at-risk populations who have the highest risk of severe outcomes from respiratory viruses and infections, like people who don't respond to vaccines, have immunodeficiencies and the elderly".
Christophe Demaison, Ena's managing director and CEO, said: "We are eager to investigate INNA-051's clinical benefit in the context of natural viral respiratory tract infections in individuals at increased risk of more severe illness".
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