en.Wedoany.com Reported - Altesa BioSciences announced clinical study results showing that its oral investigational rhinovirus capsid inhibitor, vapendavir, reduced inflammation and viral load in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) infected with rhinovirus in a Phase 2a challenge study. The findings were presented orally and via poster at the 2026 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe conference.
Compared to the placebo group, patients treated with vapendavir showed suppressed elevations in inflammatory mediators and viral load. Dr. Katherine Laessig, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Altesa BioSciences, stated that this supports the drug's potential to reduce disease severity and shorten illness duration. These data further strengthen the therapeutic prospects of vapendavir as a targeted therapy for preventing rhinovirus-driven COPD exacerbations. Exacerbations are a major factor leading to accelerated lung function decline and reduced quality of life in COPD patients, and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in this disease.
Rhinovirus is responsible for approximately 50% of COPD exacerbations, yet no approved rhinovirus treatments or vaccines currently exist. The company recently enrolled the first patient in the Phase 2b CARDINAL clinical trial. This trial aims to demonstrate that, compared to placebo, treating rhinovirus infection with vapendavir improves upper and lower respiratory symptoms, shortens illness duration, and better maintains small airway lung function.
Key findings showed that rhinovirus challenge triggered increases in multiple immune mediators, consistent with the expected innate antiviral response, including IFN-α2a, IL-29, IP-10, and GM-CSF. Compared to placebo, vapendavir treatment reduced peak levels of key inflammatory mediators: IFN-α2a peak levels decreased by approximately 38%, IP-10 peak levels by approximately 50%, and IL-29 peak levels by approximately 67%.
Vapendavir is a broad-spectrum antiviral investigational drug in oral pill form that prevents the virus from entering human cells and inhibits viral replication. It demonstrates potent activity against 97% of rhinoviruses and other respiratory enteroviruses. Current research focuses on COPD, but vapendavir has broader potential applications, including other high-risk respiratory populations such as asthma patients.
The CARDINAL clinical trial is a Phase 2b multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled study in COPD patients infected with rhinovirus, planning to enroll 900 COPD patients in the United States and the United Kingdom. The trial aims to reflect real-world care models by proactively identifying and supporting high-risk populations. Participants will undergo long-term close monitoring, and upon rhinovirus infection, will be randomized to receive one of two doses of vapendavir or placebo. The primary objective is to assess improvement in respiratory symptoms using established patient-reported outcomes, with other endpoints including time to symptom resolution, quality of life, healthcare resource utilization, and lung function. More information is available at www.COPDCardinalStudy.com/join. Trial registration number: NCT07610395.
Altesa BioSciences is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company led by global experts in respiratory medicine and infectious diseases, dedicated to improving the lives of patients with chronic lung diseases such as COPD and asthma by treating viral respiratory infections. In addition to advancing vapendavir, the company advocates for improved access to modern respiratory diagnostics and treatments in underserved communities. Company website: www.altesa.com.
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