A new drug developed by UK scientists to treat Covid-19 patients is being trialed at University Hospital Southampton.<br><br>Developed by UK biotech company Synairgen, it uses a protein called interferon beta, which our bodies produce when we get a viral infection.<br><br>Initial results from the trial are expected by the end of June.<br><br>There are currently few effective treatments for coronavirus with doctors relying on patients' immune systems.<br><br>What is the new drug?<br>Interferon beta is part of the body's first line of defense against viruses, warning it to expect a viral attack, explains Richard Marsden, chief executive of Southampton-based Synairgen.<br><br>He says the coronavirus seems to suppress its production as part of its strategy to evade our immune systems.<br><br>The drug is a special formulation of interferon beta delivered directly to the airways when the virus is there, with the hope that a direct dose of the protein will trigger a stronger anti-viral response even in patients whose immune systems are already weak.
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