While the trial confirmed asunercept’s safety and tolerability, it failed to achieve statistically significant improvement in clinical outcomes compared to standard care. Study: Efficacy and safety of asunercept, a CD95L-selective inhibitor, in hospitalised patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19: ASUNCTIS, a multicentre, randomised, open-label, controlled, phase 2 trial . Image Credit: Pormezz/Shutterstock.
com In a recent study published in the eClinicalMedicine , a group of researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of asunercept, a CD95 ligand (CD95L)-binding protein, in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to determine its potential clinical benefit in improving patient outcomes. Background COVID-19 has infected over 775 million people and caused over 7 million deaths globally as of March 2024. While most cases are mild, severe complications like pneumonia, respiratory failure, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occur in vulnerable populations, leading to high intensive care unit (ICU) mortality rates.
Emerging variants with increased transmissibility or immune escape further compound the challenge. CD95L is implicated in lung injury and immune dysregulation, contributing to ARDS and poor prognosis. Preclinical studies suggest that blocking CD95L can reduce lung failure and improve survival in viral infections.
Further research is needed to validate its therapeutic potential in humans. About the study Asunerc.