What is it about?
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies entered the mainstream for infectious diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, paving the way for their application against other pathogens. Influenza virus represents an attractive target; however, the mAb would logically perform most optimally when it is present at the portal of virus entry, the upper respiratory tract. Here, Beukenhorst et al. report results of preclinical studies and phase 1 clinical trials asking whether intranasal delivery of an influenza virus hemagglutinin–specific antibody, CR9114, was feasible. In preclinical studies, the authors found that intranasal dosing was safe and conferred protection against influenza virus challenge. In the two clinical trials reported here, the authors found that intranasal delivery of CR9114 was safe and that repeated dosing achieved sustained intranasal concentrations. mAb isolated from the nose of participants over time could still successfully neutralize influenza viruses.
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Why is it important?
These data establish the basis for efficacy studies in humans and suggest that intranasal CR9114 may represent an effective immunoprophylactic for influenza virus.
Perspectives
This study elegantly demonstrates the sensitivity of the pseudotype neutralization assays for the evaluation of new therapeutics targeting influenza. They can be applied equally to mucosal samples and serum/plasma and represent a critical tool for clinical trial endpoints
Professor Nigel James Temperton
University of Kent
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Phase 1 and preclinical studies reveal safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of intranasal delivery of the influenza antibody CR9114, Science Translational Medicine, February 2026, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adz1580.
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