Benzinga | Mar 30, 2021 06:46AM EDT

Tiziana Life Prepares Further Development Of Foralumab In COVID-19 Patients

Tiziana Life Sciences Plc (NASDAQ: TLSA) is planning a Phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Brazil for moderate to severe hospitalized COVID-19 patients to test the drug in a more compromised group of patients.

* All patients will receive standard of care background therapy.

* A recent clinical study in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients showed evidence that the nasally administered foralumab reduced pulmonary and systemic inflammation and was well tolerated.

* The company says that foralumab is the only monoclonal antibody that can be dosed nasally or orally due to its ability to affect systemic immunity via the nose's epithelial lining, respiratory tract, and gut.

* Foralumab (formerly NI-0401) is the only entirely human anti-CD3 mAb.

* Price Action: TLSA shares are trading 1.9% higher at $2.7 in premarket on the last check Tuesday.