A clinical trial has indicated an effective treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients. The study, which investigated the effects of using an anti-inflammatory protein, alpha-1 antitryspin (AAT), to treat COVID-19 patients who have progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), indicated that the treatment with AAT led to decreased inflammation after one week. The treatment was also found to be safe and well tolerated, and did not interfere with patients’ ability to generate their own protective response to COVID-19. The study, published today in Med, also suggests the potentially important role of AAT in the treatment of ARDS and other inflammatory diseases associated with COVID-19. AAT is a naturally occurring human protein produced by the liver and released into the bloodstream which normally acts to protect the lungs from the destructive actions of common illnesses.