GM-CSF (granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor) was found to be highly protective in pre-clinical models of pneumonia-associated lung injury including viral infection. There is first evidence of a beneficial effect of inhaled GM-CSF in patients with severe pneumonia/ARDS.
A placebo-controlled, randomized clinical phase II investigator-initiated trial (GI-HOPE, NCT02595060) currently addresses the adjunctive therapeutic role of aerosolized GM-CSF in patients with pneumonia-related ARDS (for further details see project 9). The study was extended to COVID-19 patients, please find the BMBF report here.