British patients in the early stages of COVID-19 will be supplied with inhalers containing an experimental drug that researchers hope will stop them from a rapid decline from the disease while building their immune response in the comfort of their homes.

According to the Evening Standard, scientists from the University of Southampton will deliver trial supplies to patients who have tested positive for the disease and follow up with dally video calls.

The trial kit includes a nebulizer, pulse oximeter, thermometer and the new drug called SNG-001. Initially, the trial was limited to only those patients living within a 40-mile radius of the university but researchers decided to expand and include all patients in the U.K. who met their criteria.

“This trial is unique in that we are targeting individuals with risk factors for severe illness, very early on in the course of their infection,” said professor Nick Francis, of the University of Southampton. “By setting up a ‘virtual network’ of study doctors and nurses we were able to recruit, consent and provide daily monitoring to patients in their homes, just about anywhere in the U.K.”

Professor Francis told the Evening Standard that “early treatment may be the key to preventing serious complications, hospitalization, and death, and we look forward to robustly addressing this important question.”

Synairgen, the company that developed the drug, hopes to recruit patients over the age of 65, along with patients over 50 with high-risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or a chronic lung condition. These patients must have tested positive for the coronavirus by a trusted laboratory.

In a recent news report, the company said it will release the results of its initial trial of 100 hospitalized patients next month.

“Not only does the home setting trial design allow us to test the drug much earlier in the illness, possibly preventing worsening of symptoms, but it also reduces the infection risk for both patients and front-line workers due to its virtual format,” said Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen.