• A Phase 2 clinical trial reveals that asunercept, a FasL inhibitor, significantly accelerates recovery in patients with severe COVID-19, reducing the average recovery time from 13 to 8 days.
• The study also indicates a roughly 20% reduction in mortality among patients treated with asunercept at 100mg and 400mg doses compared to the standard of care.
• Researchers suggest that targeting the host's immune overreaction with FasL inhibitors like asunercept could be effective against future SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging respiratory RNA viruses.
• The drug was found to be safe and well-tolerated, suggesting a potential therapeutic value in managing severe COVID-19 cases and alleviating healthcare system burden.