Swedish drugmaker Vicore Pharma has reported positive results from a phase 2 study evaluating its oral therapy for treating respiratory infection in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The study enrolled 106 infected patients randomized to receive the investigational drug or placebo, with those taking the oral COVID-19 therapy, C21, shown to have a 40 percent reduced risk of requiring supplemental oxygen following seven days of treatment and a 57 percent reduced risk at eight days.

 “Our data clearly show that C21 can restore lung function on top of steroids and normalize gas exchange,” said Vicore CEO Carl-Johan Dalsgaard. “A safe oral medication with such properties can become an important complement to vaccines to combat the pandemic.”