A new study will evaluate whether a weekly dry powder nasal spray can boost natural defenses and prevent viral complications in adults with asthma.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- New Clinical Trial: ENA Respiratory secured AUD $2.98 million in funding to initiate a Phase Ib clinical trial testing its nasal spray, INNA-051, in adult asthma patients in early 2027.
- Targeting Common Viruses: The once-weekly dry powder spray is designed to prime innate immune defenses in the nasal passages where pathogens such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coronaviruses enter the body.
- Addressing Airway Vulnerability: Preclinical research suggests the therapy may restore delayed antiviral responses in airway cells without exacerbating asthma symptoms.
ENA Respiratory has been awarded AUD $2,980,000 from Australia’s Biointelect Venturer to support a first-in-patients study of its INNA-051 nasal spray in adults with asthma, according to the company.
The Phase Ib trial, designated ENA-A-04, will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of intranasally administered INNA-051 in adult asthma patients, the company reported. The trial is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
Biointelect Venturer provided the award through its inaugural funding round, which is supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) via the 2024 BioMedTech Incubator Grant Opportunity.
“We are proud to have received this grant from Biointelect Venturer. It will enable us to expand our clinical program in a high-risk patient population. Patients with asthma are at significant risk of complications from respiratory infections and this study will inform future development in this group and other at-risk populations such as those with other chronic respiratory conditions like COPD,” said Christophe Demaison, PhD, chief executive officer of ENA Respiratory, in a news release.
Mechanism and Preclinical Evidence
INNA-051 is a virus-agnostic, once-weekly, dry powder nasal spray formulated to stimulate natural antiviral host defenses directly in the nasal passages, according to the company. By activating early mucosal immune responses where viruses like colds, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coronaviruses typically enter, the therapy is intended to help the immune system react more rapidly to infection and lower the risk of severe complications in vulnerable groups.
Asthma involves an intrinsic delay in innate antiviral activity, which can permit pathogens to migrate to the lower respiratory tract, trigger airway inflammation, and exacerbate respiratory symptoms, the company stated. According to preclinical and safety pharmacology data cited by ENA Respiratory, intranasal delivery of INNA-051 did not exacerbate asthma and demonstrated an ability to restore innate immune defenses while significantly lowering rhinovirus viral loads in ex vivo bronchial epithelial cells collected from donors diagnosed with moderate-to-severe asthma.
Ongoing Clinical Development
“This inaugural cohort of funding recipients, including ENA Respiratory, reflects exactly what Biointelect Venturer was established to do: accelerate high-quality Australian infectious disease innovations that address significant local and global health priorities and deliver investment-ready ventures,” said Danielle Shand, general manager of Biointelect Venturer, in a news release.
“These companies can deliver substantial value through their discoveries but often face difficult early investment conditions and critical gaps between research and commercial readiness. By combining catalytic funding with hands-on commercialisation support, we can help promising technologies close those gaps,” said Shand, in a news release.
In addition to the upcoming asthma study, INNA-051 is under evaluation in the Phase II POSITS trial (NCT07222670) in the US, according to ENA Respiratory. That study is investigating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of once-weekly treatment for up to three months to evaluate its effect on the incidence, duration, and severity of viral respiratory illnesses among young adults living or working in crowded conditions. The company stated that the initial stage of POSITS concluded in May 2026, and dosing for Part B is projected to begin during the upcoming North American respiratory virus season.
