Interna Therapeutics Announces Human Challenge Trial Agreement with the University of Oxford to Advance Intranasal MNM-siRNA SARS-CoV-2 Prophylaxis Program
PR Newswire
PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, March 23, 2026
PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Interna Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced today that it has signed an agreement with the University of Oxford to conduct a Phase IIa human challenge trial evaluating its intranasal Molecular Nano-Motor (MNM)-siRNA drug targeting SARS-CoV-2. The study will be supported by funding from the Gates Foundation and conducted by world-leading experts in human challenge models and vaccinology.
"This collaboration with Oxford University and the support of the Gates Foundation mark a defining moment for the company and for the field of RNA therapeutics," said Yuval Gottenstein, Chief Executive Officer of Interna Therapeutics. "For the first time, we have the opportunity to demonstrate in a rigorous human challenge model that a locally administered siRNA drug can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection at its point of entry and replication. We believe our MNM platform has the potential to protect millions of immunocompromised patients who remain vulnerable today, and also to establish a new paradigm for the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral diseases."
The human challenge trial will evaluate the antiviral efficacy, safety and prophylactic potential of the investigational MNM-siRNA drug in healthy adult volunteers who will be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 under controlled clinical conditions. The trial is designed to provide rapid, high-quality efficacy data and represents a key milestone toward advancing the program into late- clinical stage development.
Interna's investigational therapy utilizes its proprietary MNM technology to deliver siRNA directly into the epithelial cells of respiratory tract, where it silences a highly conserved viral gene essential for replication. The drug is designed for convenient self-administration via an intranasal spray, offering the potential for pre-exposure prophylaxis , post-exposure prophylaxis, and early treatment, particularly for immunocompromised patients who remain vulnerable despite vaccination.
"This agreement represents a major step forward in demonstrating the clinical potential of our MNM platform in respiratory viral diseases," said Prof. Roger Kornberg, Nobel Laureate and Scientific President of Interna Therapeutics. "This important Phase IIa trial, very likely to be successful in light of published information, has implications well beyond respiratory viral disease, highlighting both the vast untapped market in this area and the broader potential of the Interna platform to address many unmet medical needs."
The study will be conducted under the leadership of Helen McShane, Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford, who said: "We are delighted to utilise the SARS CoV2 human challenge model we have established to evaluate this promising new therapeutic modality and look forward to working together with Interna on this programme of work".
The Gates Foundation is supporting the program as part of its broader efforts to expand access to innovative tools to prevent respiratory viral infections globally.
Significant Market Opportunity in Immunocompromised Patients
Interna's MNM-siRNA program is initially focused on pre-exposure prophylaxis setting for severely immunocompromised individuals, a population estimated at approximately 3 million people in the United States alone.
Based on conservative assumptions, the company estimates a U.S. market opportunity exceeding $8 billion annually.
This need remains substantial, as many immunocompromised patients fail to mount adequate responses to vaccines and continue to face significant risks of severe disease and mortality.
Building on Successful Phase I Clinical Progress
The Oxford human challenge trial follows Interna's successful Phase I clinical trial conducted in Israel, which demonstrated good safety and tolerability, of the intranasal MNM-siRNA drug in healthy volunteers. The Phase I study represented the first clinical evaluation of the MNM delivery technology in humans.
Preclinical studies demonstrated potent antiviral efficacy, favourable safety, and efficient delivery of siRNA into respiratory tracts (nostrils and lung tissue), supporting progressing into clinical efficacy studies.
About Interna Therapeutics
Interna Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a universal intracellular delivery platform based on its proprietary Molecular Nano Motor (MNM technology. The platform enables efficient delivery of macromolecule drugs – including siRNA, DNA, and peptides – into cells and tissues that have historically been difficult to access. Interna is advancing programs in respiratory viral infections, rare diseases, and oncology.
View original content:SOURCE Interna Therapeutics
