There could be a new way to treat the coronavirus and a Warren-based company is testing it.

Bellerophon Therapeutics uses nitric oxide, which had some success against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and a portable book-sized device to deliver it to infected individuals.

The therapy successfully treated one infected COVID-19 patient at the University of Miami Hospital, who then was discharged, the company said. It is looking to test nitric oxide on other patients as well.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Hunter Gillies, Bellerophon’s chief medical officer. “We always like to see good basic science seeing that a drug might work. Certainly, if this first patient is representative of patients going forward, then yes, I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The initial treatments are being conducted under what the Food and Drug Administration calls “compassionate use," allowing drugs to be used for purposes they previously have not been approved for.

Gillies said the company is working with the FDA to set up a formal trial to see if nitric oxide is an effective treatment and can be approved for the coronavirus. They could have an answer as to its effectiveness within months, he said.

The experience with SARS encouraged the company to see if it would work for COVID-19 as well, Gillies said. And with the portable equipment, a patient doesn’t have to stay in the hospital.

“We know it can kill these sorts of viruses,” he said. “We also know nitric oxide improves blood flow to the lungs. Hopefully, we can make patients feel better, get them out of hospitals, reduce the burden on the intensive care units, reduce the number of patients needing ventilators."

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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