Vapendavir, a potential novel treatment for COPD patients with rhinovirus, has shown positive results in early testing.
According to a press release from Altesa BioSciences, the drug’s manufacturer, new clinical findings demonstrate that vapendavir, an investigational oral rhinovirus capsid inhibitor, reduced the inflammatory response and viral load in COPD patients infected with rhinovirus. The results were part of a phase 2a challenge study that were shared during an oral and poster presentation at the 2026 American Society for Microbiology Microbe Conference in Washington, D.C.
The presentation’s key findings showed the rhinovirus challenge triggered increases in several immune mediators consistent with a desired innate antiviral response, including IFN-α2a, IL-29 and GM-CSF. Compared to placebo, vapendavir treatment reduced key inflammatory mediators, including:
- Peak IFN-α2a levels by approximately 38%
- Peak IP-10 levels by approximately 50%
- Peal IL-29 levels by approximately 67%
“Vapendavir treatment blunted the elevation in inflammatory mediators and viral load, providing support for reduced severity and duration of illness compared to placebo,” said Katherine Laessig, MD, vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance for Altesa BioSciences. “These data further reinforce the therapeutic potential of vapendavir as a targeted approach to preventing rhinovirus-driven COPD exacerbations, a leading driver of morbidity and mortality in patients with the disease, contributing to accelerated lung function decline and diminished quality of life.”
These results are the latest update to the trial. The company announced similar results in an earlier phase of the trial in 2025.
In addition to this challenge study, the company also recently enrolled its first patient in the phase 2b CARDINAL clinical trial. That trial is designed to assess improvement in respiratory symptoms using established patient-reported outcomes.
