On May 11, 2020, Airway Therapeutics announced a filing with the Respiratory Diseases Branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to evaluate AT-100 (rhSP-D) as a therapeutic for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Airway is advancing AT-100 – an engineered version of an endogenous protein – that has been shown in preclinical studies to safely reduce inflammation and infection while modulating the immune response across a range of respiratory diseases inside and outside the lung. Airway is aiming to enter the clinic later this year with AT-100 as an investigational preventive treatment for the serious respiratory disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very preterm infants.

AT-100 has the potential to serve as an innovative therapy for the novel coronavirus by targeting critical stages of viral infection through:

• Facilitating the binding and clearance of the virus by lung immune cells
• Regulating the body’s immune cells to reduce the overwhelming inflammation that is the primary mechanism of illness in severe viral infections
• Inhibiting infectivity and replication for several types of bacteria and viruses, including the primary coronavirus infection and also the secondary bacterial and viral infections that often complicate the care of patients with serious infections

AT-100 is a novel recombinant human protein rhSP-D, an engineered version of an endogenous protein that reduces inflammation and infection in the body while modulating the immune response to break the cycle of injury and inflammation. Airway’s first focus is advancing AT-100 for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very preterm infants. AT-100’s anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties also make it a potential treatment for other respiratory diseases such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and inflammatory diseases inside and outside the lung.