Poolbeg Pharma, a UK-based clinical stage infectious disease focused pharma company, said that it is securing an exclusive license to the dual antiviral prophylactic therapeutic candidate, POLB 002, developed at University of Warwick. POLB 002 is reportedly at a late pre-clinical developmental stage with in-vivo data showing immunotherapy assets panning respiratory virus infections including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19 among others. The candidate was derived from 20 years of research undertaken by virologists Prof. Andrew Easton and Prof. Nigel Dimmock at the University of Warwick. 

According to the researchers,  the drug is to be administered intranasally and the RNA-based immunotherapy works by triggering nasal cells quickly into an antiviral state to protect from the infecting virus. They also expressed hopes that the mode of action and quick response could eventually be useful in reducing the severity of several respiratory illnesses, especially for the immunocompromised.