The novel Corona Virus has taken the whole world to ransom that we are desperate to find a new drug to cure the disease.

Interferon beta acts on the immune system of the body to muster a response. The corona virus is believed to suppress this response.Synairgen, the pharmaceutical company has developed a drug containing Interferon beta in an aerosol. By inhaling the protein in an aerosol, the scientists believe it restores the lung’s ability to naturally neutralise the virus.

In a small randomised trial hospitalised patients who inhaled Synairgen’s Protein, it was found that 79% were less likely to deteriorate to the point where they needed ventilation. The trial of the drug, developed at the University of Southampton, involved 101 patients, half of whom received a placebo. The data will need to be closely examined by other scientists and has not yet been released for peer review.

Professor Martin Landray, from the University of Oxford said “We’re all so desperate for good treatments, it’s easy to jump on any good news and say we have found a cure,” “We have not found a cure yet”. He said the latest results were very promising, but should be treated with caution.