NeuroRx Inc, a clinical stage, small molecule pharmaceutical company, and Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG (SIX:RLF, OTC:RLFTF), a Swiss-based publicly-traded drug development company, have received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) approval to test RLF-100 (aviptadil) for inhaled use in the treatment of patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 in order to prevent progression to respiratory failure, it is reported on Thursday.

The first phase is to start with patients hospitalised for severe COVID-19 who do not yet have respiratory failure. If promising results are revealed then the trial will expand to patients at home with mild and moderate COVID-19 in order to prevent the requirement for hospital admission.

The clinical trial of the product's inhaled formulation is likely to commence on or before 1 September 2020.