- Eiger BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EIGR) jumps 17% premarket in after announcing results from the ILIAD (Interferon Lambda for Immediate Antiviral Therapy at Diagnosis in COVID-19) Study, an investigator sponsored randomized trial of Peginterferon Lambda (Lambda) in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 conducted at Toronto, Canada.
- The main efficacy outcomes were viral load decline and the proportion of individuals with a negative nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 at Day 7.
- A total of 60 patients were randomized 1:1 to a single subcutaneous dose of Lambda 180 mcg or normal saline placebo. Patients were followed for 14 days.
- The SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral load decline from baseline was significantly greater in the Lambda group than in the placebo group from Day 5 onwards.
- After controlling for baseline viral load, those treated with Lambda were 4.1-fold (95% CI 1.2-16.7, p=0.029) more likely to clear by Day 7 than those in the placebo arm.
- For those with baseline viral load > 6 log copies/mL, the proportion negative at Day 7 in the Lambda group was 15 of 19 (79%) compared to 6 of 16 (38%) in the placebo group.
- Median time to clearance was 7 days with Lambda compared to 10 days in the placebo group (p=0.038).
- Across all patients, by Day 7, 24 of 30 patients (80%) in the Lambda group were negative compared to 19 of 30 (63%) in the placebo arm (p=0.15).
- Participants with low viral loads also had milder symptoms at baseline with improvement over time in both groups. Lambda was well-tolerated with few adverse events.
- Eiger licensed worldwide rights to Lambda from BMY.